


Finding You

by AspenFlower17



Series: Finding You [1]
Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: Angels, Angels: obey me, Angst, Celestial realm obey me, Chance Meetings, F/M, I have read up to chapter 38 in game, Is now an angel, Longing, Looking for Someone, Mc died, Mc is now an angel, Memory Loss, Mutual Pining, Obey me hc, Obey me head canons, Pining, Rebirth, Satan is best boi, long fic, ongoing series, some violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:07:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 47,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26649508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AspenFlower17/pseuds/AspenFlower17
Summary: Hello! This idea was given to me by @simpforsatan over on Tumblr. The major character death is Mc. This is written for a Female Mc. Ongoing series :)Mc can't remember her life before the Celestial Realm but something's missing, and she's going to find out what it is.
Relationships: Satan/MC
Series: Finding You [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1938976
Comments: 36
Kudos: 119





	1. A New Life

Mc was thrilled. Simeon and Luke assured her it was a huge honor to be promoted to angel this quickly. The two had been so helpful in helping her adjust to life in the Celestial Realm. She had had orientation just like everyone else, explaining that she had passed away and that yes, it was normal and even good she didn't remember any of her life as a human. That way she wouldn't be sad and could live in a blissfully happy state in the Celestial Realm.

It all would have been fine, had she not felt so lonely. Though everyone had been extremely kind, she couldn't help feeling like there was someone, missing from her side as she laughed and chatted with everyone. When she told the angels what was going on, almost every single one of them told her she was probably just missing someone who hadn't passed yet. It happened on occasion, but it just showed that they had been very close and that they would find each other again.

Simeon and Luke weren't like that though. They just let her rant or cry whenever the feeling became too much for her to bear with a sympathetic nod and hug, with the occasional soft words of comfort.

As time passed, and she still didn't find who she was looking for, Mc grew very close to the two angels, which they were both delighted with. Though they didn't fill the void, she felt at ease with them, like they were old friends. They told her her promotion was all due to her own merit, but she suspected they had something to do with it. So, of course, when she was asked who she wanted her guardian angel to be, she chose Simeon.

The night before she was to be turned into an angel, she sat with Luke and Simeon in what was soon to be all of their's living room. They were celebrating the fact she would soon join their family, and she was enjoying her last night as a... Well, whatever it was she was.

"So, I'll turn into a child?" Though everything had already been explained, Mc wanted to make sure she knew everything.

"Yes. I'll be put in charge of raising you, and Luke will help out as a big brother essentially."

"And, I'll still remember everything that's happened here so far?"

"Yes, though it's not as cut and dry as that. Though you'd will remember everything, you won't really comprehend most of it."

Mc nodded, the question she'd saved just for these two angels bubbling to the surface, "Will... Will I still feel lonely?"

Simeon and Luke shared a look, before turning back to Mc, "More than likely," Simeon admitted.

"But," Luke interjected, "We'll be your new family, so you won't be alone. Your big brother will take care of you!"

"Thanks Luke. I am glad you accepted being my guardian angel Simeon."

"My pleasure Mc."

"Well, we  **are** connected in so many ways, there's no way we'd give you to someone else," Luke said a bit haughtily.

"Wait... Connected? What do you mean?"

Luke threw his hand over his mouth but tried to answer anyways, "Mothin. Don wor bou ih!"

"No. I really want to know,"Mc looked between the two angels who had averted their eyes, "Come on guys. Please?"

"You weren't supposed to find out," Simeon sighed, making Luke sink further into the chair he was sitting in. Mc waited, only slightly impatiently.

Finally, Luke sighed and looked her dead in the eyes, "I will  **only** tell you if you  **promise** not to dig further into what I'm going to tell you. You also have to promise you won't tell any of the other angels I told you."

"Of course," Mc promised, her curiosity burning.

"Okay. Luke and I... met you during your human life."

"Wait... You did?!"

"Yes."

"Did I know you guys well?"

"Fairly well."

"Is that why you guys are so nice to me?"

"All angels are nice Mc," Luke reprimanded, sounding slightly offended.

"Well, yeah, but everyone else just kind of brushed off how I was feeling when I told them. You two were a lot more sympathetic."

The angels looked at each other again, before Simeon answered, "Yes partially. We certainly wanted to help you since we knew you personally."

"And the rest?"

"We're angels. Of course, we're going to help."

Mc eyed the Simeon, "You're hiding something. You should know you're really not a good liar," to which Simeon started panicking, "But I promised not to pry," which made him visibly relax. After a moment, Mc started again, "Can... Can you tell me... one... thing though?"

"... Possibly."

"Do you know why I'm lonely? Why I feel like a part of me is missing?"

Simeon's eyes and smile were sad as he answered, "Yes, I can guess as to why."

"You can't tell me though?"

"No. I'm sorry."

Those soft words hurt, but Mc couldn't blame Simeon. He wasn't doing it out of spite.

"Well, I think it's time for bed. You have a big day tomorrow and I need to make sure this place is still childproof."

Mc bid them good night and started up the stairs to what would be her new room. As she climbed she made herself a promise, "I will figure it out one day though, and I'll feel complete again."

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

Mc looked around, bored beyond reason. Sim had been talking to Father for FOREVER! He'd even taken Big Brother with him, so now she had to wait all by herself in this big chair.

"Mc, is that you?"

"Michael!" Mc exclaimed happily, grinning up at him.

"What are you doing out here?" Michael asked, kneeling down besides Mc's chair.

She threw her hands around his neck, "I'm waiting for Sim and Big Brother to be done talking to Father. He told me I needed to sit here unless he called me in. They've been gone for  **so long** ," Mc sighed melodramatically.

Michael laughed heartily, making Mc smile despite her display, "Well, maybe this will help," as he handed her a cookie.

Mc gasped delighted, "Big brother's gonna be so jealous!" Mc giggled, biting into the cookie.

"I have another idea," Michael whispered conspiratorially.

"What's that?" Mc asked.

"Well, you might not be able to go in and check what's taking so long, but I can. Do you want me to?"

"Oh! Please? I've been really good. I promise."

"Of course Mc," Michael laughed, standing up and ruffling her hair, before disappearing behind those huge double doors.

Mc munched on her cookie as she waited for Michael to work his magic. He'd been very kind to her in the past and seemed to always be able to help her. Luke had explained how amazing Michael after she'd first met him, and though she didn't share the same fervor as her brother, she did think he was very nice and she liked that he never seemed to trivialize her problems even though he was a very important angel.

To her delight, she didn't have to wait long. Shortly after she'd finished her cookie, Luke stuck his head out one of the doors, "Mc, it's time for you to come in."

Mc was suddenly a little shy as she hopped off the chair. She hadn't met Father for a long time. She was also worried they wouldn't be happy she hadn't waited the whole time.

"Mc, how'd you get crumbs all over your face? Hold on," Luke started wiping all the crumbs off Mc's face. She looked down to see some on her dress which she started brushing off.

"There. Much better," Luke smiled at her, taking her hand and leading her into the room.

Mc first saw Simeon looking slightly frustrated until he saw her. Luke lead her over to him, and he leaned over, "I'm so sorry it took so long," he apologized softly.

"Mc," the soft voice boomed through the room, "I'm so glad to see you. It's been too long."

"Hello Father," Mc said softly, curtsying, finding it hard to fully meet his eyes.

"I do apologize for taking so long with Simeon. We were discussing something important."

"That's alright. I was waiting as patiently as I could."

"That you were," God smiled, making Mc swell a bit with pride, “I do need to ask you an important question.”

“What’s that?”

“Well, are you still feeling lonely?”

Really? That question again? “Kind of.”

“Hmmm... Do you feel lonely often?”

Every day. “Sometimes, but Sim and Luke help me feel better!”

“I’m still not convinced it’s a good idea, Simeon. If she’s still feeling the absence of his presence, I worry for her memory.”

I can repect that Father, but wouldn’t it be better to know now if there’s going to be a relapse under supervision then if she went herself later on? After all, since the program began, we have become more friendly with them.”

“I agree with Simeon, Father,” Michael interjected, “We both know Simeon would never let any harm come to her.”

“Both of you?... Fine, If anything happens, you must come back straight away.”

“As you wish Father,” Simeon said, bowing, then turning, “Hey, Mc?”

The girl in question, who had been silently trying to figure out if there actually was a ceiling in the room or if it just opened up to the sky snapped her attention to Simeon, “Yes?”

“How would you like to take a family vacation with me and Luke?”

“Where to?”

“The Devildom.”

Mc, cocked her head, “Is that in the human realm?”

“Nope. It’s the realm where demons live.”

“And I get to go with?” Mc asked, bouncing a bit from foot to foot. She knew from listening to the other angels speak that going anywhere outside of the celestial realm was a big deal, especially when it wasn’t to the human realm.

“Yup. Father just gave his permission.”

“Oh. Thank you!” Mc practically shouted, turning towards the imposing figure in front of her.

“Of course, my child. Just, promise me, if you start to feel weird or uncomfortable, anything out of the ordinary, you tell Simeon.”

“I promise!”

“Good. Michael, if you could just show them out and the next group in.”

“Of course, Father,” and with that, the long meeting was done, and a new trip to the Devildom started to be planned.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Big brother!!! Look at that!”

“Yes, Mc.”

“Oh, and that!”

“MmmHmm...”

“Luke, Luke, Luke, what’s that?”

“Oww, it’s just a shop. Will you stop pulling my arm like that?”

“You’re the one that told me to hold your hand.”

“Well, yeah. It’s dangerous down here. That doesn’t mean you can dislocate it.”

Mc looked down dejectedly, and Luke immediately softened, “Oh, don’t do that. I’m sorry okay? I’m just not the biggest fan of this place.”

“Huh? But Sim said you guys had a lot of fun here.”

“He may have, but I didn’t. Most of the demons said I was a chihuahua, and even started calling me that. To be fair, I was… vocal… in my dislike of demons, but they should’ve understood I was only a child. Honestly, the only parts I really liked about being down here was baking with Barbados… And giving Beel food sometimes. Oh, and of course getting to know-” Luke cut off abruptly after looking at Mc.

“Getting to know who?”

“Uh, someone. It’s not important right now. What’s important is staying close to me. Demons aren’t something to mess with.”

“Okay, Big Brother,” and then after a little bit, “Hey, why don’t we go say hi to your friends?”

“Oh. No. I’m just here to show you around. Barbados is really busy, but you might get to meet him later. Beel might eat you, so we have to stay away from him. Hey, why don’t we go play at that park over there?” Luke, pulled her after him.

Mc shook her head. Simeon had already told her demon’s could be very scary, but they really weren’t as bad as everyone said. He had also explained that Luke still wasn’t a huge fan of demons, though he liked them more then he’d let on. After being in the Devildom a bit, Mc couldn’t believe it all bad. She’d been in very bad places in the human realm, and she could tell when they were bad, even without being told. She could tell bad things had happened down here, but it just all seemed so new but… familiar. Even the absence of the sun didn’t bother her.

“Hey Luke, let’s go-” Mc yelped, some magic narrowly missing her, and exploding as it landed.

“Mc!” Luke yelled, hauling her away as a fight broke out among some nearby demons. The park was fairly crowded, and soon chaos enveloped the two siblings. Somewhere in the chaos, Mc’s small hand slipped out of Luke’s. All she could see were tall legs everywhere, and the occasional tail.

“Big brother! Luke! Where’d you go? Luke!” Mc had the chance to shout before a particularly thick tail smacked into her and sent her flying through the air. Hoping desperately her wings would choose this moment to show themselves, Mc tried to make herself fly. Unfortunately, that wasn’t in her future and she landed rather roughly on a pile of leaves. Though they broke her fall, she was knocked unconscious.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What has Satan and the brothers been doing this whole time?

Satan had felt when Mc died. His pact mark had begun to glow and heat up. A terrible rending feeling in his chest, then… Nothing. He couldn’t move, fear completely paralyzing him. No, it couldn’t be…  
Then he heard Mammon scream. Then Asmo. Then Levi. Soon, the whole House of Lamentation was filled with wailing. Satan scrambled for his D.D.D, hurriedly dialing Mc. No, no, no, no, no. He had just talked to her. She’d been fine.  
“Hi! This is Mc. I can’t get to the phone-”  
“No… No, no, no, NO!” Satan screamed, throwing his phone at the wall. Satan sunk to his knees in a sobbing heap.  
The brothers never got an answer to what exactly had happened to Mc. Diavolo had confirmed she had passed, but he couldn’t get any details since she hadn’t been sent to the Devildom. He had managed to find out when and where the funeral would be, if they wanted to go. They would only be able to attend the graveside service though, since the viewing was being held in a church. 

Each brother attended the graveside service. Satan stood stoically as the casket was brought out of the hearse. He was wondering if he would be able to get Asmo to charm everyone in attendance so he’d be able to see her face one last time, when he felt his brothers all shifting around uncomfortably. He realized the religious figure he’d tuned out was quoting scripture at the congregation, promises that Mc was now in the hands of God. He decided to tune him out again. Then the casket was being lowered. He had to be physically restrained from going out and pulling her out as the first fistfuls of dirt were being thrown on the casket. How could they do that to her? A voice murmured a reminder that she was gone, and they were just saying goodbye. Well, he needed to say goodbye too. Maybe that wasn’t such a good idea.

Next thing Satan knew, he was at the corner of the grave, a flower he’d had a death grip on since they had started out from the Devildom in his hand. Her favorite. A shiny wood box met his eyes from 6 feet below. Was she really there? He couldn’t feel her presence from his pact mark. Where was she? When was he going to wake up?

The other demon lords watched their brother lose the fight with his emotions. He sobbed, falling on his haunches. Six hands found a part of Satan to touch, tears in their eyes as well.

“It’s time ta let ‘er go,” Mammon’s stuffy voice came from next to him. Satan looked over to find Mammon had removed his sunglasses. His eyes and face were wet.

“I… I don’t think I can,” Satan stated, tears falling freely.

“I know. I know,” Mammon said, pulling his brother in for a hug. Each of the rest of the brothers joined in the hug, pulling the fourth and second born up with them. After a bit, they all let go, moving forward to give Mc their own token and say their last words. When Belphie had finished, Lucifer put his hand on Satan’s shoulder.

“Mc’s waiting for her flower,” Lucifer said, gesturing towards the grave. Satan nodded, and walked forward. He fiddled with the stem for a second, trying to find the words to say, “Mc… Huh, I don’t actually know what to say… I guess, I… I thought I’d find some way to be with you forever. I never thought… I’ve never felt anything like you before Mc, and I don’t think I ever will again… Please… Please, if it’s possible, come back to me. Please,” he uttered as he dropped the flower onto the casket, and walked back to his brothers. He knew everyone was looking at him, confused and curious through their sorrow. They all stayed until the end of the funeral, when Satan turned to Lucifer, “I think it might be time to go.”

“If you’re sure, that would probably be the smartest course of action,” Lucifer nodded, the humans looking questioningly at the demons. The religious man from earlier was actually making his way towards them.

“I’ll visit her later when there aren’t so many people around,” Satan stated as he started walking. The brothers exchanged looks before following him.

The next couple months were quiet at the House of Lamentation. The brothers did the bare minimum required to keep the household going. They were all absent from RAD and Lucifer even took some time off from the endless amount of paperwork he usually did, to grieve. Mc may have been dating Satan, but the rest of the brothers loved her too, and missed her greatly. The only time the brother’s saw Satan was when he was raiding the fridge, finally giving into his stomach pleading for food. He still managed to look somewhat put together, though his eyes were dead and haunted. He had retreated so far into his mind if one of them managed to get him to acknowledge their presence they counted it as a win. He was a shell of himself, and everyone was worried.

Time marches on though, and life slowly returned to normal. One day, Lucifer had gone to RAD and come home with some random paperwork that needed to be done. Another, Asmo was going out to update his wardrobe because he was terribly behind the trends. Each brother found their own way of coping. Beel eventually asked if they could all have family dinner again. They all actually made an appearance, though Satan left once he was done eating.

Though he wasn’t doing well, Satan had been visiting Mc’s grave at least once a week if not more. Lucifer had granted him access to the portal indefinitely, a gesture of kindness that did not go unnoticed. At first he just cried quietly at her grave, not able to produce a coherent sentence. It slowly evolved into him reading her her favorite books or some snatch of poetry that reminded him of her. Eventually he was able to talk freely as he once had. Sometimes it was a mixture of the three. His brothers never saw him cry though. Since Mc had been the only one that seemed to truly understand his feelings, she was the only one allowed to see him cry. Through this self therapy, Satan started to heal. He started sitting in the common room with his brothers in the evening, or snorting at some joke that had been thrown around the table at dinner.

As the years passed, Satan would still visit Mc’s grave, though the frequency dropped. He slowly learned to deal with his sorrow, just like he had with love when he’d first fallen for Mc. It was much harder, his wrath often informing his depression. She became his support again, even if she wasn’t able to respond to help him through his feelings. He always visited on her birthday, bringing her a bouquet of flowers and some small piece of literature, art or playing her some music.

One year, while reading her some Shakespear, someone came up behind him, “She appreciates it. I know she does.”

Satan stopped reading instantly, whipping around to see a woman who looked quite a lot like Mc, “Excuse me?”

“Coming to see her every year. You have great taste in art by the way,” the woman said, sitting down besides Satan, looking fondly but sadly at the headstone.

“Um, thank you. May I ask who you are?”

“Only if I can ask you the same thing,” the woman responded, smiling at him wryly. The look was so similar to one Mc would give him, he found himself instantly trusting this woman, “I’m S… Stan,” he answered, giving the nickname Mc come up with, when he had asked if he’d ever be able to meet her family. She’d laughed when she'd thought of it, saying she could never introduce him as Satan.

“Stan? I was wondering. She met you when she took that trip out of the country right?”

“Yeah… What’d she tell you about me?”

“Oh, you want me to remember that far back? Hmm… I seem to remember her talking about how smart you are, “She chuckled, her eyes far away, “I remember one time, I went in to talk to her and she was furiously reading some book. When I asked what she was reading she told me she couldn’t talk to me right then, needing to catch up to where you were in the story. It was a silly little moment, but she looked so determined… I do know she was in love with you. Though she only really told me about you shortly before she died, I remember the look in her eyes when she talked about you. Telling me about how drawn she was the moment she laid eyes on you. You know what a romantic she was. As her Mother, you can guess how excited I was to meet you, especially after watching her get her heart broken before... You’re exactly her type, you know. Tall, blonde, smart. She was even thinking of introducing you to us. Then it happened.”

Satan didn’t realize the tears were flowing until she looked over and wiped a tear away. She continued, “I was disappointed when I didn’t see anyone that matched your description during the viewing. I don't know what kept you, but I am glad you made it for the casket lowering. I was surprised to see your brothers though, if that's who they were. You all look so different… Anyways, I’m sure she would've loved the intrigue you brought to her service. A handsome stranger, distraught at the thought of life without her. She always did love big, dramatic displays of affection.”

“You remember me from the funeral?”

“Who could forget? It became a topic of conversation in our family once we could all talk about her without crying. Who was that blonde guy? Why wasn’t he at the viewing? Who were the other men he was with? Did she secretly get married while she was out of the country? So many theories, each one more ludicrous then the last. It seems her best friend and I were the only ones to connect the dots as to your identity.”

“Ah. I’m a little embarrassed now,” Satan admitted sheepishly.

“Don’t be. I was extremely bitter after the funeral for a long time. How could my beautiful daughter be taken away from me? Parents were never meant to outlive their kids. I’ve never understood the reason people take photographs at funerals. Most of the time, there’s so much makeup caked onto the body they’re almost unrecognizable. There’s a photo of you from the funeral I actually saved though. You’re looking at the casket with such a look of longing and loss, just waiting for her to come back to you. That photo actually brought me a lot of peace after she was gone. Your look perfectly encapsulated how I felt at the time. It also helped me to know she was able to know that much love before she left. I never want you to feel embarrassed for showing that kind of love to my daughter.”

" She is and always will be the only one for me.”

Mc’s mother laughed, “Oh, you’re still young and quite handsome. You’ll find someone else. In fact, you don’t look like you’ve aged a day from the first time I saw you. You must’ve made some kind of deal with the devil,” she joked.

“Ah. Very funny. Yes. A deal with the devil. Haha.”

Mc's mother looked at him, slightly concerned, "Well, it seems I've made things awkward. I’ll leave you two alone now.”

“Oh, that’s okay. You don’t have to leave on my behalf,” Satan protested.

“It’s alright. I live close by, and I come and visit fairly often. Maybe I’ll see you around sometime. Good night, Stan”

“Good night, and… thank you.”

Mc’s mother smiled at him and walked away.

“Well, Mc, I guess I have your mother’s approval now,” Satan joked, turning back to his Shakespeare.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Remind me why we’re here again,” Satan said, only slightly interested in the antics Mammonweas trying to drag him into.

“Tryin’ to get some sucker… er, customer ta part with their grimm, obviously,” Mammon explained, leaning back in his chair and turning to face Satan and Belphie.

“What does that have to do with us?” Belphie mumbled, eyes more closed than open.

“Well, everythin’! You two are super smart, so I need ya ta…” As Mammon continued talking, Satan wondered, not for the first time, if Mammon actually ever intended to make money with his schemes, or if he had simply found a way to work through his sin without causing too many problems. He had to understand how likely his plans were to fail… Right?  
A bump on his shoulder announced Belphie had fallen asleep. Since Mc had helped him work through some of the trauma he had held onto since Lilith’s death, Belphie had gotten comfortable with his brothers again, growing especially close with Satan, their mutual dislike of Lucifer giving them something to bond over. When Mc had died, Satan had found Belphie to be the most supportive of his brothers. Though they'd lost Lilith, Satan had found Belphie the most sympathetic to what he was going through.

“Oi! Listen when I’m talkin’ ta ya! Ya both younger than me, so you shouldn't really show me more respect.”

Belphie lifted his head, and rolled his eyes, “Mammon, do you really want me to do you a favor? How about this? Maybe, don’t explain how you’re going to con people in front of those you want to con.”

Mammon looked around worriedly, finally noticing the glares he was getting, before rounding on Belphie, “I was just explainin’ the plan ta ya and Satan cuz ya both asked again! If ya didn’ wan’ an explanation, ya shouldn’ have asked!”

Belphie was about to retort, when he got a self satisfying smirk, “Oh, dearest big brother, looks like you’ve got your first customer.”

Mammon went pale, turning around slowly to find a demon about as tall as Lucifer staring Mammon down, obviously angry.

Very interested in how Mammon was going to worm his way out of this one, Satan turned to say something to Belphie when he caught sight of a familiar hat. 

“Belphie, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn’t that Luke?”

“Hmm? You mean the chihuahua?... Oh, I think it is. Why do you suppose he’s here? I never heard we were getting any visitor."

"It's a little terrifying just how much you know. You're like Asmo that way."

"It's not my fault everyone just assumes I'm sleeping while they're talking."

"Belphie, you know enough, I think you store information when you're asleep."

"Huh… I'd never thought of that before… Who’s that other angel with him?”

“I don’t know… She kinda looks familiar though, don’t you think?”

Belphie looked over at him, arching an eyebrow, “Do you know any angels younger than Luke?”

“Well, no, but… She just looks so familiar.”

“I guess… Hey, you’re missing Mammon squirm.”

“You watch and enjoy. I’m going to go talk to them,” Satan said, clearly distracted, as he got up out of his seat.

“Where do you think you’re going?” a large body planted itself in front of Satan. The demon was tall, but so was Satan. He was able to look him right in the eyes.

“What’s it to you?”

“You’re with the guy that was going to scam us right?”

“You were actually going to fall for his scheme? Really? Well, the first step to getting the help you need is admitting you have a problem. Now, move. I’ve got places to be.”

“Not so fast Princess. You’re not getting away that easy,” the demon put out his hand and grabbed Satan’s shirt.

Satan looked down at the offending hand, and then at the demon, his horns already starting to sprout, “I’d suggest you unhand me if you want to keep your kneecaps.”

The demon laughed, a cocky smile on his face, “Ya think just cuz you’re an elite ya can take me? What makes you so special huh? Ya just think ya so great, just because ya pretty. Am I right?”

The rest of Satan’s demon form appeared, his eyes glowing, a menacing aura surrounding him, “No. I know I can take you because I’m the Avatar of Wrath. Maybe, if you weren’t such a dunce you’d have noticed that,” and with that Satan grabbed his hand in a bone crushing grip. The demon started yowling, trying to twist out of his grasp. It only made Satan increase the pressure. He leaned in right next to the demon’s ear, “Next time you pick a fight, understand who you’re dealing with first.”

He swept the demon’s legs out from under him, and put him in a wrist lock submission hold. The demon was now yelling for mercy, desperately trying to break Satan’s hold. Satan looked around to see if he could still see Luke, but realized quickly that wasn’t going to be possible. Both of his brother’s were currently dismantling whatever demon had decided to pick a fight with them. The rest of the area had erupted into chaos, most demon’s running away. No one wanted to be around when one of the Avatar’s were fighting, much less three! A couple idiots were trying to get in on their fight though.

Sighing, Satan leaned down again, “Well, well, well. Looks like you’re losing your kneecaps today.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Satan muttered to himself, picking up bits of trash that had been left by the fleeing demons. Because of his involvement in the fight, he had to clean up the entire park. Trying to explain to Lucifer he'd been trying to walk away apparently didn't help when you'd put five demons in the hospital before he'd shown up to stop you.

“Well, Lucifer, if you could’ve just kept your cool, you’d still be prancing around with Simeon and MIchael up in the Celestial Realm, making friendship bracelets, painting each other little rocks and braiding each other’s hair as you giggle about how… Huh?” Satan crouched down, noticing a small foot peeking out from a pile of leaves. Moving around to the other side of the pile, he saw it was the small angel that had been with Luke.

Up close, the feeling he'd met her before was even stronger. She looked so familiar, but he knew he’d never seen her before. The youngest angel he’d ever met was Luke. Maybe she was from the foggy memories of Lucifer’s he still had? That was forever ago though. She should've grown up quite a bit by now...

His musings were interrupted as the small angel moved. She winced as she sat up, holding her head, “Wha… What happened? Luke? Where are you?”, then noticing Satan, “Oh, hello there. I’m sorry, but could you help me find my big brother?”


	3. New Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Tis a new chapter! It's shorter than the last two, but it's an update (sorry it's a bit late!). Anywho, to help soothe a bit after the last chapter, this one's a lot cuter <3

“Your brother?”  
“Yeah. I… I think there was a… a… stampede… Of demons, and I accidentally let go of his hand, and I don’t know where he is now,” the small angel looked up at the demon, and winced, her neck hurting her.  
“A stampede huh?” Satan chuckled at the word and crouched down. The feeling that he’d met her before was even stronger seeing her close up.  
“Well, what else would it have been?”  
“There are other words you could have used, but I suppose stampede works just as well. Just don’t let other demons here you say that; they’ll think you were trying to insult them.”  
“Oh, I definitely wasn’t trying to do that,” Mc explained, her words tumbling out much too quickly.  
Satan just put up his hand with a smile, halting her words, “I know you didn’t.” He found the young angel intriguing. Most angels wouldn’t have asked him, a demon, for help, much less apologized for using a word that was commonly thought of for animals for demons. Especially one that called Luke of all people a big brother.  
“... Did you see it? The… ?”  
“Stampede? I did actually. I was part of the cause actually. I apologize for that.”  
“It’s okay, as long as you help me find my brother.”  
“That is more than fair,” Satan agreed, offering a hand to help pull the small angel up. Once she was up, she started dusting off her small dress.  
Satan chuckled, “Do you want me to help get them out of your hair?”  
Mc smiled up at him, “Yes, thank you!”  
Her hair was in a braid, so some small bits were stuck in there, but he got most of the large bits, “You had a whole leaf up there,” he said, showing her a large leaf.  
She took the leaf from him, staring at it, “Is it supposed to be black like that?”  
“Yes. It’s from that tree over there.”  
“Is it because you guys don’t have a sun?”  
“Mostly.”  
“That’s really cool!”  
“Heh. I’m glad you think so.”  
They started walking, and Mc grabbed his hand by instinct. Satan was impressed that he didn’t pull away, not having had someone hold his hand since…  
“So, where am I taking you?”  
“Pur.. Pu.. Purag... “  
“Purgatory Hall?”  
“Yes,” she smiled.  
“Off to Purgatory Hall then.”  
The angel was full of questions, the demon more than willing to answer all of them. Her curiosity was refreshing, and he found himself completely at ease. Most children made him a bit irritated but she seemed to be more mature than a lot of other children he’d met her age. He still couldn’t place why she seemed so familiar. Even small actions had his brain screaming he knew her.  
For her part, she was quickly growing to enjoy the demon's company. He was extremely knowledgeable and answered all her questions completely and without annoyance. She was generally aware of when someone was talking down to her, and there was no guise with him. He was probably tailoring his responses down a bit, but it wasn’t demeaning.  
“So, can I ask you a question?” Satan asked.  
“If you want.”  
“This may sound strange, but have we met before?”  
Mc blinked a bit, that definitely not being the question she was expecting, “Ummm… I don’t think so. Unless you’ve been to the Celestial Realm.”  
“Nope. I haven’t had the pleasure.”  
“Oh… Well, I’ve never been here before…”  
“Also, your older brother. What’s his name?”  
“Luke.”  
“I knew it,” Satan muttered, pleased he’d been right.  
“... Knew it?”  
“Oh. I saw you guys walking in the park before the stampede happened.”  
Mc narrowed her eyes, “Are you making fun of me?”  
“Maybe a little bit,” Satan laughed.  
Mc shook her head, a smile creeping onto her face at seeing him laugh, “That’s not very nice you know. But, did you say you know Big Brother?”  
“I do, though I didn’t know he had a little sister.”  
“I’m a newer addition to the family.”  
“Family?”  
“With Sim.”  
“... Do You mean Simeon?”  
“Oh yeah. Luke and Sim were really nice to me when I got up to the Celestial Realm, so when I was able to become an angel they decided I needed to be in their family,” the young angel smiled softly.  
“I thought all angels were supposed to be nice.”  
“Oh, they… We are. It’s just… I was lonely when I got there, and they listened to me instead of just telling me I’d be alright after a while.”  
“You were lonely?”  
“Mmmhmm.”  
“Did they say why?” Satan had a strange feeling about the whole thing, but he couldn’t put his finger on what was bugging him.  
“Well, the other angels said it’s cuz’ I’m missing someone I knew during my life as a human. They promised after being there awhile I’d find them and I’d feel better.”  
“... Did it ever happen?” Satan asked, pretty sure he already knew the answer.  
“... No.”  
“I’m sorry.”  
“Well, it’s not like it’s your fault. And Sim and Big Brother help me feel okay most of the time,” as Mc fell quiet, she realized… She wasn’t feeling very lonely right then. In fact, she wasn’t feeling lonely at all. She blinked a couple of times, something tugging at her mind. She turned to look up at the blonde demon next to her who seemed caught up for the moment in his own thoughts. The small furrow between his brows. His other hand on his chin. Green eyes trying to turn a problem around in his mind. This feeling of safety and contentment with a demon she’d never met?... Wait. He knew Luke?  
“Were you one of the demons who called him chihuahua during the exchange program?”  
“Huh? Oh, that. Kind of. It was mostly my brothers, but I may have called him chihuahua a couple of times. He really did carry on like a dog sometimes.”  
“He said he didn’t like the exchange program because of that.”  
“I think there was more at play then just us calling him that, but I’m sure that was something that didn’t help. He seemed to be… okay with us last time I saw him. That was quite a while ago.”  
“He did warn me about demons, but I think what Sim said is more true.”  
“What’d he say?” Satan asked.  
“He told me demons can be scary, like what happened earlier, but they’re really not that bad like you. Besides corrupting humans of course.”  
Satan chuckled at the statement, the compliment not going unnoticed. She was matter of fact with the statement, not accusing demonkind of anything, but simply stating a fact he couldn’t argue with in any meaningful way. While he personally didn’t see anything wrong with corrupting a human he knew all angels and a lot of humans found it morally wrong. While the child was precocious, she was just that, a child, and an angel to boot. He doubted he’d be able to debate the subtle nuances of morality with her. He also didn’t want to tell her about how terrible demons could be, finding himself wanting her good opinion. Interesting.  
The rest of the walk to Purgatory Hall went like this, the two enjoying each other’s company. Satan was more than impressed with the angel’s maturity despite how young she was, and Mc was content with the demon, Luke’s earlier warning’s about demon’s seeming very silly. Soon, the dorm was in view.  
“Well, here we are,” Satan said, finding he was disappointed the small angel was leaving so soon.  
“You could come in,” Mc said a bit shyly, “You could say hi to big brother and Sim.”  
“As great as that sounds, I should be getting back. I was supposed to be cleaning the park up. Maybe I’ll come by tomorrow,” he said seeing her crestfallen face.  
“You should!”  
Satan smiled again, “I’ll see what I can do. I should be getting back now though.”  
“Okay… Well, thank you again for helping me.”  
“It was my pleasure. Thank you for keeping me company. It was nice to have an intelligent conversation for once.”  
Mc beamed at the compliment and then started walking towards the door. She had knocked when Satan realized he’d never asked her name, “Wait, what’s your name?”  
She turned to answer when the door opened to reveal a frantic looking Simeon, “There you are! Where have you been? Luke and I have been worried sick! Luke! She’s here! I found her. You nearly gave me a heart attack! Do you know how-” his voice cut off as he shut the door.  
Oh well. I’ll just drop by tomorrow and ask then.  
Unfortunately for Satan and Mc, when Satan got back to the park, Lucifer was waiting.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sup everyone! I apologize for being inactive lately. I changed some things from how I initially wrote it and couldn't progress more in the story. Luckily, I had inspiration hit while I was waiting to go in into work, so I'm on a roll again!
> 
> Trigger Warnings: None that I can think of :)
> 
> As always, kudos are very appreciated! I also live for comments so...

Mc sat and stared out the window. Why hadn’t he come? She had waited all day and had even made Luke bake cookies. Where was he?  
“Mc, you should come down from the window.”  
“But… What if he forgot what house we’re at Sim? He was in a hurry to get back.”  
“Mc, I don’t think-”  
A knock at the door brought Simeon’s statement to a halt. Mc’s eyes grew wide and she scrambled off the couch to make a beeline for the door. She threw the door open, “You’re back!... Oh, hi… Sorry. I thought you were someone else…”  
“Oh, aren’t you adorable, just like he said you’d be. I’m assuming you’re the little angel my brother helped yesterday?”  
“Oh, yeah, that’s me! Where is he? Is he behind you?” Mc asked, trying to look around the strawberry blonde demon in front of her.  
“Ah, no such luck I’m afraid. Our older brother was really angry he left the park yesterday. He gave him a lot of extra chores to do, so he’s not going to be able to make it today, or probably for the rest of the week.”  
“Oh…”  
“Awww, you’re even cute when you’re sad! Hopefully this will make you feel better. He asked me if I could deliver this letter to you,” the demon said, extending the letter to the small angel. Mc’s eyes lit up, as she carefully opened the envelope. Inside were a couple pieces of thick parchment, creamy and almost soft to the touch. 

Hello,  
Normally I would address a letter with a name, but I wasn’t able to get it yesterday, so I apologize, not the only one in this letter I’m afraid. When I got back to the park, my brother was waiting for me, and he was not amused. In an effort to “teach me a lesson” he has given me so many things to do, I probably won’t be free of them for quite awhile. I am sending you this letter in case I’m not able to see you before you leave.  
I wanted to congratulate you. It’s not every day I find such stimulating conversation and from a child no less. You have a bright future ahead if you can keep that thirst for knowledge you have. I hope I’m not overstepping my bounds by including a list of novels and information sources that I found very useful during my formative years. As I have said, knowledge is power. As long as you are knowledgeable no one can dismiss you.  
I hope you can remember that information as you grow up. Knowledge really is the key that opens any door, as well as who you know. Don’t pass up the opportunity to expand your social circle. Connections can get you to so many more places than knowledge alone, a lesson that took far too long for me to learn.  
I will have you know this kind of thing is not normal for me. If you will grant me a moment, while I enjoy the novelty of your company, but I also feel a kinship to you I cannot explain. I also maintain I know you from somewhere, though I cannot place where. I hope you don’t mind that I asked Asmodeus, my brother, to deliver this letter. He knows more people than I do, so I was hoping that he might recognize you.  
I’m afraid I haven’t the time to make this more eloquent. I can hear my brother coming down the hallway. I would like to add one more thing. I am very sorry that you have a loneliness you can’t get rid of. Though you may not believe it, demons get lonely too, and I felt very lonely, hurt and angry for many, many years of my life. I learned how to mask my feelings and, though it took a long time, I did eventually find solace, even if it was for a short time. You shape your own life. I do hope you find a way to feel fulfilled in life and you find the cure for your loneliness. Know I will always be rooting for your success, and I do hope we can meet again and have more time to discuss anything and everything.  
Seems I am out of time. Until we meet again.  
S .  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`  
“So, she’s really familiar, isn’t she?”  
“Yes, she is.”  
“Did you recognize her? Your face says you did.”  
“I… I have a theory on who she might be.”  
“Well, who is she?”  
Asmo sighed, trying to figure out how to answer the question, “If I’m correct, I don’t want to say anything because she will be back one day.”  
“And, if you’re wrong?”  
“Well, that’s why I can’t tell you. Now please don’t ask me any more questions about it. I think she’ll be back to find you, so just be patient. We can talk more about it at that point.”  
Mc closed the letter, trying to contain her excitement.  
“Well, what does it say?”  
“Lord Diavolo is specifically asking if I’d consider bringing my show to the Devildom. He has offered the castle as free lodging for as long as I am in the Devildom, which has no expiration!”  
“That’s incredible Mc! You’ve never shown in the Devildom have you?”  
“Not yet. I went when I was a child, and I really enjoyed it there. After MoMA I was thinking of reaching out to ask if they’d be interested, but then they put the exchange program on hold due to Gabriel’s behavior down there…”  
“I still can’t believe he’d act that way.”  
“Oh I can. He’s so radicalized I’m surprised he was allowed down there at all.”  
“Still…”  
“We all know how you feel about Gabriel, Abihail,” Mc teased.  
“No! I don’t… I… No!”  
Mc raised her eyebrows, but let the topic drop, “The question now is if they’ll let me go down.”  
“I’m sure Simeon would be more than happy to let you go down. Luke may not be as… enthusiastic, but he should be proud his little sister was invited to show in the Devildom.”  
“They’re not who I’m worried about. I have to go through Michael.”  
“Oh, that shouldn’t be a problem. He knows how responsible you are. Consider how many times he’s allowed you down to the human realm for a show.”  
Mc tried to match Abihail’s excitement, but Michael had gotten weird after Gabriel’s behavior in the Devildom. She reasoned it must have been because he had been the one to send him to the Devildom for the exchange program, though he had acted differently ever since she had gotten back to the Celestial Realm from that trip as a child.  
She started reading the books he had recommended, very grateful he had included notes on what he called “trigger warnings” explaining that he knew angels were more sensitive to certain subjects. The books inspired her to become a polymath, though she didn’t learn the term until she was older. Her real expertise was in the arts, painting, drawing, photography, sculpting, poetry, and music among her most recognized accomplishments. She was also skilled in conversation and had at least a basic understanding of most academic subjects, excelling in some.  
It was Simeon who suggested she hold her first art show. The show was such a success, Mc found herself inundated with offers from various other angels to showcase her work, some offering to bring her art to the human realm. Such was the environment Mc grew up in, and grow up fast she did. An angel’s physical and mental age were dependent on the angel’s understanding of various things, their age not getting much past what would be considered a human’s prime. Mc was voracious in her learning, and as such, she found herself quickly reaching the maturity she would stay at for the rest of her existence. Luke, not to be shown up by his little sister, also started growing at a crazy rate. In the end, they both ended up reaching maturity at the same time. Once she reached it, she started having shows in the human realm, finding the understanding of humans to be better than a lot of angels at times. Her fellow brothers and sisters were certainly great, but many of them didn’t seem to try to better themselves, and so she found herself drowning in their mundane chatter much of the time. It actually spurred most of the art they loved so much. She had found herself researching the Devildom more and more, wondering what S would think about certain subjects, or how he would react to her art. He had suggested many art books for her to look through, most of them showing he had a great understanding of art; what would he think of her new piece? Did he like classical music? What kind of poetry did he prefer to read? She came back to the list he’d written her many times, trying her best to understand the man who had believed in her enough as a child to expand her world. It made her feel less lonely, a problem that seemed was always going to plague her. It was nice to have another supporter, as she wasn’t getting much support from Michael, though she wasn’t dependent on it.  
Though he never outwardly said it, she almost felt like Michael had never approved of her art, unless it was of a landscape or something else just as tame. It wasn’t that he didn’t understand art either, having gone with her to many other art shows and was able to intelligently speak on the art he saw there. It wouldn’t have bugged her as much as it did had he not interjected himself into her life after that trip as much as he had. She’d read many books as she could find trying to understand what was going on with him, causing her to research many different psychological phenomena, but none of it seemed correct. The closest she could find was a very mild form of Mother Hen Syndrome, though even that didn’t seem to accurately describe what was going on. She had never tried to breach the subject of going to the Devildom with Michael, even after he was put in charge of travel between Realms.  
When she’d found out about Gabriel’s stunt in the Devildom, she’d figured her chance of going to the Devildom was gone. The exchange program being put on hold confirmed her theory, and even her shows in the human realm were greatly reduced. Though it had been awhile, she had never tried to push to get her shows back, as she knew pushing with Michael rarely worked out the way she wanted it to. Now that she’d been invited down there however, it would be rude to refuse wouldn’t it?  
“Why don’t we go and ask him right now? He may have even received a letter from Lord Diavolo himself.” Abihail’s voice brought her out of her thoughts.  
“That might make it so he has to warm up to the idea. Let him come to the conclusion himself…”  
“I don’t know. I think it’ll be harder for him to say no if he knows that you want to go.”  
“I want ideas on bargaining should he say no though. Never go into battle unprepared.”  
“You really feel like this is going to be a battle?” Abihail asked, arching an eyebrow.  
“Yes. You also should stop questioning me all the time.:  
“Well, I think the best idea to counter if he says no is inviting him to come with you. That way he can make sure the “reputation of the Celestial Realm remains untainted” or at least helps repair any damage that’s been done.”  
“Hmmm… That’s the final bargaining chip then.”  
”Honestly, I think it’s the only one you’ll need.”  
“Oh no, I’ll need more. Let’s see, why would I want to go?”  
“Just be honest. You need more material for inspiration. That’s why you want to go right?”  
“Oh, that’s true… Good idea,” Mc complimented, hoping it wasn’t obvious that wasn’t exactly why she wanted to go. It was her cover story when anyone caught her researching the Devildom. It definitely wasn’t for a change of pace or a certain blonde demon who had given her the best life advice she’d ever received. Who had taught her mediocrity wasn’t the only way to live. Nope. Definitely not that.  
“Well, there we go. I think you’re set.”  
“Nope. I need atleast one more bargaining chip.”  
“Ugh, what about that Luke goes with you?”  
“That’s… Not a terrible idea.”  
“Of course it’s not. Will you go talk with Michael now?”  
“How serendipitous. I was looking to speak with you Mc,” Michael’s voice came from behind the conversing angels.  
“You really need to stop sneaking up on me like that,” Mc exclaimed, her hand over her heart.  
“Ah, but it’s so entertaining. Oh, don;t look at me like that Mc. Anyways, I do need to talk to you if you’re available.”  
“I am,” Mc said, getting up and dusting off her skirt. Abihail gave her a huge thumbs up when Michael’s back was turned.  
When the pair was far enough from other people, Michael began speaking without ceremony, “I don’t approve of you going to the Devildom.”  
“I figured you wouldn’t. I do want to go though. I need fresh inspiration for my art, and I would like to experience the culture of the Devildom.”  
“Why would you want to go down there though?”  
“Besides the reasons I already listed? I would like to see where Simeon and Luke spent time through the eyes of an adult. I did enjoy my time there as a child, and I would like to return.”  
“Do I need to remind you of the danger you were in last time?”  
“I would like to counter that point by reminding you I am an adult now. My powers have fully manifested at this point, and I can fly just as well as anyone else. I have studied multiple different cultures, including the Devildom, which is more than Luke did when he first went down.”  
“You allowed a demon to guide you to who knows where.”  
“As a child. If you don’t trust me, I am not opposed to Luke joining me down there.”  
“I’m still not convinced. I’m just trying to help you make the best decision.”  
“I feel, in light of whatever problems Gabriel caused down there, this might help international relations. It seems rude to decline the ruler of the Devildom when I’ve had so many shows in the Human Realm and none in the Devildom, partially because I wasn’t sure if they wanted my work to be shown down there. Now that I have an express invitation to showcase my work, I feel I should take it,” Mc glanced over to Michael’s face and saw it start to harden, and sensing a no on his lips, she pulled out her trump card, “If it makes you feel better, you can definitely come too. That way, you can rest assured that the Celestial Realm is being represented in a positive light.”  
The abrupt change in Michael’s face almost made Mc start celebrating. She had him with that last part, she knew she did.  
“You wouldn’t be opposed to me joining you?”  
“Not if relations between the Devildom are as strained as I’ve been led to believe.”  
“Hmmm.. I will need to discuss it with Father, considering my many duties, but… that could work.”  
Mc allowed herself a smile, though she really wanted to shout in triumph, “Thank you Michael. I think this will be the next step in my artistic journey.”  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
“Why do I always end up back here?” Luke whined, as he watched out the window.  
Mc didn’t give him a response. His denial of how much he actually enjoyed the Devildom was always entertaining to her. She knew he was in almost consistent contact with Barbetos, who she had found out was Diavolo’s butler.  
She herself was too excited to talk much in case she let slip just how much she wanted to be down here. Lord Diavolo had been more than welcoming when she had explained she’d have to bring two more in her entourage, allowing them to join her in the castle.  
The Devildom seemed much as she remembered it. The neons of all the signs, glowing in the eternal dusk sent her hands into a sketching frenzy, poetry filling the next page or two only to find more sketches further down.  
Michael seemed nervous however. Once they had stepped from the portal into the twilight, he had been on edge. Seeing the Nightmare’s that were pulling the carriage that had been sent to deliver them to the castle had certainly frightened him. Mc had only pulled out her camera and started taking photos of them, hoping she had figured out her settings properly. He had been fidgeting the whole carriage ride, the view of the castle only making things worse.  
Finally, Mc couldn’t take it anymore, “Michael, are you alright?”  
“Heh, of course I’m alright. Why wouldn’t I be?”  
“Simeon was kind of like this when we first came down to the Devildom for the exchange program,” Luke offered.  
“He was?” Michael asked, a tad desperately.  
“Yeah. He kept muttering about seeing Lucifer and the others again.”  
Michael seemed to take comfort in the knowledge and the rest of the trip up to the castle gates was fairly quiet. Mc really couldn’t understand the fervor that seemed to grip some of the angels when they talked about Lucifer, “Maybe I’ll understand after this trip,” she thought idly, another strain of poetry coming to mind.  
“Mc, we’re almost there. You should probably put your notebook and pencils away,” Luke offered.  
The first mote of apprehension pricked Mc, her notebook quickly put in her pack, “Does my hair look okay?”  
“Yes.”  
“Does mine?”  
“Yes Michael.”  
“You didn’t even look.”  
Luke raised his head to look at Michael, “Like I thought. Impeccable.”  
“He’s not in a very good mood is he?” Michael whispered to Mc, causing her to giggle.  
The carriage came to a stop, and the door opened, revealing an imposing figure in red and a shorter figure in black with green accents. Michael let out an audible breath, and got up from his seat to head towards the door.  
“I was right. He’s worried about seeing Lucifer again.”  
Mc decided to leave the discussion for a later time, as she wanted her head clear for this meeting.


	5. The Art Show

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Tis I again, coming back with another chapter :) Hope you enjoy it!  
> Comments are always appreciated!

Satan growled as he redid his bowtie once again, Lucifer’s words still echoing in his head.  
“Are you sure you need to go tonight?” Lucifer was standing on the ground floor of his room, while Satan got ready on the landing at the top of the stairs.  
“Yes. How many times are you going to ask me that?”  
“I don’t know if it’s a good idea for you to go opening night.”  
Satan hoped Lucifer could hear his eye roll, “I can’t imagine why, unless the fact the artist is an angel has your panties in a twist,” the indignant noise Lucifer couldn’t contain made Satan snicker quietly.  
“That isn’t the problem.”  
“Then what is? You have never had issues with me going to an art show before. I heard Lord Diavolo will be there, so I can’t begin to imagine why I shouldn’t go.”  
“Why do you want to go?”  
Satan walked all the way over to the railing to give his brother an incredulous look, “Did you seriously just ask me that?” Lucifer took a stance that meant he wanted an answer, making Satan sigh, “Well, why wouldn’t I? I’ve heard about her art in the human realm. I haven’t been able to see any of her works, unfortunately, but I’ve read the reviews. If nothing else, I want to say I was at the opening night of the first art show for one of the Celestial Realm’s up and coming artists, which you know doesn’t happen very often. The last angel I can think of who received any mark of recognition for their work outside of the Celestial Realm is Simeon.  
“I also think it’s important at least one of us brothers attend the show, which I figured you’d agree with. You’re constantly going on and on about how important our image is and how we need to make sure to ‘understand the gravity of our positions down here as demon lords and as the Avatar’s of Sin’. You’ve already stated you won’t be going, and I have been planning on attending since I heard about it. I really don’t see what the problem is.”  
Satan saw a flicker of worry cross Lucifer’s face multiple times while he was talking. He must really not want me to go. But why?  
“And you’ve made sure none of our brothers can go with you?”  
“Yes. In fact, I’ve asked Levi twice and had a soda bottle thrown at my head the second time for “making him lose the level he was on. I asked both Beel and Belphie three times, which they both declined, Beel stating he would rather stay home because they never had enough food at show openings and Belphie saying he didn’t want to get thrown out of one again for curling up in a statue to sleep. Asmo would come, but he got invited to some party the same night.”  
“... What about Mammon?”  
Satan blinked a couple times before his brain even began to process what Lucifer had asked, “Huh?”  
Lucifer seemed to blink himself, though it could’ve been a trick of the light, “You didn’t mention Mammon.”  
Satan opened and closed his mouth a before being able to respond, “You want me. To ask Mammon. The Avatar of Greed. Who steals. And is loud. And uncouth. To go to the opening night of an art exhibition. For an up and coming artist. Who has never shown in the Devildom before. And is an angel… Do I have that correct?”  
Lucifer’s resolve looked to be in tatters, and Satan thought he’d drop the whole thing before his resolve returned, “Yes.”  
Damn pride.  
“You must be joking.”  
“If you don’t ask him, I will personally assign him to go with you.”  
Satan really couldn’t believe his ears, “Assign him to go with me? Do I look like I’m nine? I do not need a chaperone. I-” the look in Lucifer’s eyes made him stop mid-argument. Is he really that worried?  
“Fine, I’ll text him if you’re going to be so insistent. I will only ask once, however, and if he does come, I am NOT responsible for his behavior.”  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
“I’ve never been ta a art… Whas it called again?”  
“And art exhibition.”  
“Right, right. Thanks for invitin’ me Satan.”  
“Mammon, we need to go over some ground rules here.”  
“Course. Whadda ya wanna talk about?”  
“First thing, art exhibitions are places of class and refinement. Please, stay quiet and respectful of the atmosphere.”  
“Course I’ll do tha’. I’m great at blendin’ into the backgroun’.”  
Satan cringed, but continued, “Second, if you steal anything from anyone, I will personally see to it that you are ejected from the show, and thrown into the labyrinth below Diavolo’s castle.”  
“OI! Show ya big brother some respect!”  
“We are not getting out of this vehicle until you promise me you’re not going to steal or otherwise take things that don’t belong to you.”  
“Fine, fine! I promise. Geeze.”  
“Third, just please don’t embarrass me. I sent you that page on gallery etiquette for a reason.”  
“I read it, don’ worry… Uhhh, Satan. Not to change the subject, but why da ya have a long tie on, an’ not ya bowtie?”  
“I… felt like it.”  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Satan was extremely suspicious. They had been at the show for over twenty minutes, and Mammon had been better behaved than he’d ever seen him before. He’d even made fairly intelligent remarks about the art. He hadn’t left Satan’s side, but had been quiet enough Satan had forgotten he was there multiple times. Lucifer would’ve been more conspicuous. Satan kept expecting to have to reprimand him, but the time never came.  
The gallery space was very large, one that was reserved for shows the demon prince handpicked. The space was set up like a labyrinth, and each bend had something new to display. The center of the show held a large, site-specific installation. The art itself was very good, better than what Satan had assumed he’d see, but what really struck him was the breadth of the work. He marveled at how one person could produce so much art and in such varying mediums.  
“Enjoying the work?” a random demon drawled, sidling up next to him.  
“Yes,” he replied, taking a step back.  
“You know, there’s a dead-end just around the corner. The art in there is extremely… Exciting. I can show you, if you’d like,” the demon closed the space he had created, and reached out, their hand lightly grazing his arm.  
“I’m fine where I’m at, thanks.” Satan started to walk away, and an exasperated sigh followed.  
“I’m not sure you understand. The art is extremely stimulating. I really think you’ll enjoy it,” a hand was now grasping his arm.  
“I said no,” Satan stated, extracting his arm from their grasp.  
“Oi! Satan! You gotta come see this photograph,” Mammon interrupted the exchange, his loud behavior back, but eyes keenly trained on the unwelcome newcomer.  
A strangled gasp came from the demon, eyes growing large, “Ah, hello Mammon,” another gasp and an audible step back, “Lead the way. Excuse me.”  
The second-born started rambling, but got quieter the further from the demon they got, until they both fell into silence.  
“Thank you,” Satan acquiesced finally.  
“No need for my brother ta have ta deal with that,” Mammon said softly. Satan didn’t push any further, them both saying what they needed to.  
They continued walking for another while, when the soft music that had been playing overhead was replaced with a voice, “I would like to thank you all for coming out to Jane Doe’s exhibition. As all of you know this is her first show in the Devildom, and I am so pleased at the turnout. As much as we’d love to have you all here at the center with us, but we hope that putting the artist talk over the loudspeakers will be enough for all of you still in the labyrinth.”  
“Jane Doe? Ain’t that wha’ they call dead humans?” Mammon asked, talking over Diavolo.  
“Well, often they're used for unidentified female human bodies to be specific, usually a murder victim. The use is mostly as a placeholder for unidentified, anonymous or hypothetical parties to a court case in some human countries. An obvious pseudonym, and one I find rather amusing and clever. I’m rather put out we’re still in the maze. I was hoping to be at the center by now. I guess this will have to do. It’s really smart to-” Satan stopped, his eyes growing huge and intense.  
“Ya okay?” Mammon asked uncomfortably.  
“Shhhhhh!…” Satan demanded, his ears now only trained on the voice above him. He could’ve sworn he heard…  
“... And of course, I had to see if she would hold a show here in the Devildom. I’m just so excited to finally have her art down here. Anyways, I’ve taken up enough of her time. Everyone, please welcome, Jane Doe.”  
“Thank you, Lord Diavolo. That was such a kind introduction. I for one am so excited to have been invited to show my work…”  
Satan was moving before he knew what he was doing.  
“Oi, Satan, wait fer me!”  
“Then move faster!” Satan called behind him, starting to run. He had no idea where he was going though. He wasn’t good with directions at the best of times, and this was meant to confuse him. Mammon caught up with him quickly, seeming very conflicted.  
“Mammon, you’re better at directions than I am aren't you? Get us to the center of the maze, now!”  
“Bro, I don’ think I can-”  
“Are you deaf?! Did you not hear her? That’s Mc! I need to get to her, now!” Mammon didn’t seem surprised at the revelation, instead looking a little sad. Satan felt his anger flare as the realization hit him, “You knew, didn’t you?”  
“Only cuz Lucifer told me, an’ that was earlier this evenin’. He wanted to make sure someone was aroun’ ta keep ya from goin’ crazy.”  
Satan quickened his pace, his anger lending him more speed, “Of course he knew about this and didn’t tell me.”  
“He was watchin’ out fer ya.”  
“I don’t care what he thought I was doing. Now, are you going to help me or not?”  
Mammon looked extremely conflicted, but eventually burst into demon form and flew up to see over the walls. Many demons were aghast at seeing someone flying in the gallery, it being against etiquette, but Satan didn’t care at the moment.  
Mammon started flying forward, and Satan followed, only looking down enough to make sure he wasn’t going to crash into an art piece. That did not account for other demons, however, and many indignant cries and shouts followed him.  
“We’re pretty close ta the center Satan,” Mammon called down.  
“I’ve always thought…” Mc continued, but Satan couldn’t focus on the words. He could only marvel at her voice once again in his ears and focus on going as fast as he could. Her laugh rang out, and Satan’s heart jumped. It’d been so long...   
“Hmmm… What was that? Oh, okay. I didn’t realize I’d been talking for so long. Apparently, my time is up, but I’ll finish this up on Devilgram. You can find me at...”  
“Quicker!” Satan shouted to Mammon after hearing Mc.  
“We’re not gunna make it,” Mammon yelled back down.  
“We need to go faster then!”  
“I’m followin’ ya pace! If ya wanna go faster, you gotta go faster.”  
Satan finally relented, and switched into his demon form. With his new power, Satan moved faster and Mammon matched his pace.  
“It’s the next bend!”  
Satan threw everything he had into covering the final distance of the hallway. He rounded the bend to find…  
People milling about, discussing the talk, some extremely confused as to why it had been cut short. Satan looked on the stage, carefully crafted into the installation piece. Nothing. They were even removing the podium.  
He sank to the floor, breathing heavily. Mammon touched down beside him, not wanting to bring attention to himself.  
“Is she in the Devildom for long?”  
“I dunno.”  
“Where is she staying?”  
“I dunno.”  
“How close were we?”  
“Real close.”  
“Did you see a way out? I’m going to start breaking things if we stay here.”  
“There’s a underground passage in the room,” Mammon held out his hand to Satan, who took it, not looking at him.  
“Let’s go then.”


	6. Night Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi!

I had my show in the Devildom. It was successful. He didn’t show up though.

Mc sighed, putting her journal down. As much as she hated to admit it, she was too upset to make much more of an entry for the day. It had been her first show in the Devildom, and it had been a huge success. She should be happy. No other show had ever been as successful. She wanted to be happy. She wasn’t though.

Mc got up to open her suitcase. She had made a secret compartment to carry the letter S had written to her. It had given her a lot of strength over the years and she almost considered it a good luck charm at this point. She reread the letter, laying down on the bed, though she knew it by heart at this point. 

She knew she was probably projecting too much on S. Besides the letter, she had only spoken with him maybe half an hour. Why was she so caught up on him? She didn’t even know his real name. Yes, he had greatly impacted her life and his letter and words of comfort had been a constant companion, but what did she actually know about him?

A sharp rap at her door interrupted her search, “Mc? Can I come in?”

“Yeah.”

Luke entered her room, carrying a tray of tea.

“I figured you could use some tea after the day you’ve had.”

“Oh, thank you,” Mc smiled softly as Luke brought over a chair.

“Still upset?” Luke asked, pouring a cup for Mc.

“Hmmm?”

“Ever since the show you’ve seemed unhappy. Kind of depressed, like when you were a child.”

“Ah, well, I was a bit upset that my artist talk was interrupted so abruptly.”

“That turned out alright though, didn’t it?”

“Yeah. It’s just not the same,” Mc shrugged, taking the proffered tea.

“So, that’s seriously what’s bothering you?” Luke asked, his eyebrow arched, then, “You’ll have plenty more shows down here if Diavolo had anything to say about it.”

“You think so?”

Luke smiled and shook his head at Mc, “Of course, silly. Barbatos told me all about it when I was getting the tea.”

“Well, I’m glad. I like it here, even though most of my time so far has been spent in that gallery space.”

“Well, I don’t know how much Michael likes it down here. I kept telling him he needs to ask Diavolo about Lucifer, but he says it’d be improper.”

Mc snorted, “Well, we wouldn’t want to be improper now would we?”

“He’ll be so surprised when he finds out what Diavolo’s planning for next week.”

“Hmmm?”

“I can’t tell you about it yet. It’s not set in stone, so I don’t want to get your hopes up.”

“Luuuuke! Where are you?” Michael’s voice came drifting from down the stairs, “I can’t figure out how to turn on the light in here!”

Luke rubbed his temple, “I’ve explained it like three times… Hold on! I’ll be down in a second!” Luke kissed Mc on the cheek, “Get some sleep and cheer up Sis.”

“Thanks Luke,” Mc smiled up at him, “I do have the best big brother don’t I?”

Luke grinned happily, “Good night Mc.”

After he left, Mc’s smile faltered and then fell. Her thoughts returning to before he had come in, “I should probably find something to do to break me out of this. Sulking in my room isn’t going to get me anywhere. I do have a whole castle to explore, though I don’t know how much of it I’m allowed to explore… Surely they couldn’t get too mad about me checking out the library…” and with that, she put her letter back in it’s secret place and left her room.

The castle was quiet, the padding of her feet the only sound. I guess even demons sleep. Her knowledge of demons seemed woefully inadequate as opposed to the knowledge she had about anything else that interested her. There just hadn’t been much information to find in the Celestial Realm unless it was how to defeat a demon, or to break the influence they had over a human. Of course she’d also heard the stories about the Great Celestial War. Six angels, led by the Morningstar himself, had gone on a rampage, and had been cast out. Being a scholar, Mc had never found a reason why they had rebelled, though she had read a lot of theories, most of them mere speculation that cast angels in the purest light possible. These, of course, she hadn’t listened to too intent;y. She knew angels had a lot of secrets already, being privy to many of them; they weren’t entirely innocent in many respects. She suspected this was true of this instance as well.

The library proved to be hard to find in one night, but by the time Mc felt sleep start to pull her back to her room, she had the layout of the castle halls almost memorized. She had actually found it easy to do, easier than almost every other place she’d been in. Of course, she didn’t know everything about the castle. If this castle didn’t prove to have a lot of secret doors and passageways, she would be sorely disappointed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

The fog was so thick Mc felt like she could chew it. The ground beneath her feet was soft, but it didn’t feel like anything she knew. There was no sound, not even her breathing. Just a murky white everywhere. Mc couldn’t remember how she got here or what she was doing here, but she was searching. No time to think. No time to remember. She needed to find it. She had lost it. It hadn’t been on purpose, but it had happened. She would find it though. Surely she could find it. It was the most important thing. Cherished. Loved. So important.

The world was growing colder. Her hands were stinging and her feet were clumsy. She could still feel though. So cold. Too cold to move, yet she did. Nothing should be working right now. She should’ve collapsed long ago. How long ago? How long had she been here? Did it matter?

She hadn’t found the thing yet. What was it? If she found it, she’d be warm. It would keep her warm and safe. No more searching. She would never lose it again. She just needed to find it.

A dim light started to pulse slowly. Was that it? Was that what she had lost? No. Maybe it could help her find it. The light got brighter as she continued forward. What was it? Light was good though, right? Light was a marker. Light could help the lost. It illuminated. It could help her find it.

The light was now right in front of her. It was so bright! Almost blindingly so. The area around her started to heat up, her feet and hands throbbing with relief. Was this it? What she had been searching for? Something within her screamed to turn around, but the heat was so welcome, even if it hurt. Hurt worse than anything she knew. She would be safe here. If she had to keep searching, so be it. She just needed to rest a bit. She reached out to the light, her hand backlit against the light. She grabbed at the light, and was then falling.

Mc gasped, sitting up straight in bed. Where was the light? Where was she? After a couple moments, Mc remembered where she was. On a bed. In a guest room. In Lord Diavolo’s castle. In the Devildom.

Mc reached for the glass on the bedside table with shaking hands. Spilling a little on her blankets, she tried to shake off the claustrophobic feeling that lingered. She hadn’t had a dream about her first memory in a while. After she had become an angel she had learned about what happened to human souls after they passed. Some found their way straight to the Celestial Realm, blinking and waking up to the eternal light. Some were wanderers though. While many wandered just a little while, some wandered endlessly through the fog she had experienced. Though the angels didn’t know exactly what caused this, many of those who wandered a long time before finding their way to the Celestial Realm were sad in some way, as she was.

She had gone home that day and asked Simeon about it, and he had told her she had wandered the longest of any soul in the Celestial Realm. She had been very cold and it had taken a while for her to wake up. She had been a little horrified, and Simeon assured her it was nothing to be concerned or ashamed about. It was simply a fact and no one held it against her, least of all Luke or him. She had wanted to believe him so bad, but everyone treated her lasting loneliness as a bad thing, so she had been forced to hide it. Pretend she didn’t feel lonely. Pretend she was fine.

She fumbled for something to distract herself and found her DDD. She worked for a second and finally turned it on, the light actually hurting her eyes. They adjusted quickly though and she groaned as she saw it was nowhere near time to get up. The thought of falling asleep again was not an option so she decided to start scrolling though Devilgram. Apparently the app was rather old as far as in-vogue apps went, but Lord Diavolo had said he would never use a different social media app, so it persisted as the number one app. She still wasn’t really used to the layout, Luke having helped her set up her artist’s talk.

She went to the post and found a lot of comments and likes. She started reading them, smiling as people praised the ingenuity of her work, frowning slightly at those who were impressed “an angel could have such an eye for art”, and rolling her eyes at the comments that criticized her species, clearly just upset she was an angel.

As she continued reading however, she ran across a couple comments asking if anyone had more information about the demons who had caused quite the uproar during the artists talk. Confused, because everyone had been very respectful at the center, Mc opened the replies, and found a whole thread of people who were upset they had been pushed and otherwise knocked out of the way of one demon who had been running through the maze following another demon who had been flying. Many speculated they were the reason the artists' talk had been cut short, and some theorized they were running to the center to harm her. A couple people tried to cut through the noise, stating the demons in question were Mammon and Satan, both Avatars of Sin. Most of the comments about this said Mammon acting this way seemed normal, but they couldn’t understand why Satan would do something like that. It seemed so out of character, a lot of the replies to these comments said they were either liars or sorely mistaken thinking it was Satan.

Mc’s heart jolted a little bit, seeing Mammon’s name. She recognized it as one of the angels who had fallen, and the name Satan had been mentioned in some history accounts as having taken form from Lucifer’s anger, though the information on him had been scarce and some thought he was just a myth. After all, how could someone be born from an emotion?

So, he’s real after all. Not that I thought he wasn’t, or at least, I figured there was at least some truth to the stories. Oh, someone has a picture of them. Wait… Is that?

At that moment, the app shut down.

“No, no, no, no,” Mc said, clicking the app again. It couldn’t have been… Could it? Her screen changed, but nothing loaded. An error message then popped up on screen, saying the app could not load, and to try again later.

Mc sat stunned for a second before springing into action.


	7. Breakfast at the House of Lamentation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There will be a second part to this chapter since it's shorter. It should come out sometime later this week :3

“I think we need to discuss your behavior yesterday,” Lucifer announced, breaking the uneasy silence that had dominated breakfast. Every eye turned to Satan.

Satan said nothing in response, continuing to pick at his food in silence. The fourth born was in a foul mood and no one had said anything to him all morning. Mammon had also been uncharacteristically silent and Lucifer had seemed… careful. Up until now, however.

“I cannot simply stand idly by without addressing what happened last night.”

Satan continued to ignore the eldest, though his stabbing got more violent, and the area surrounding him was getting darker.

“Ummm, Lucifer, I don’t think-” Beel began, but Lucifer interrupted him.

“There is a long list of demons who want you banned from that gallery space permanently for the stunt you pulled yesterday,” and then turning to Mammon, who shrunk down in his seat, “And you. Flying in the gallery? I asked you to behave yourself and not-”

“Have you told them?” Satan’s voice was low, but it rang out across the dining room as if he had shouted. His immediate vicinity was pitch black at this point. His horns were curling through his hair and when he looked up, his eyes were glowing, “Have you told everyone at this table? Or were you just keeping me out of the loop?”

Lucifer and Satan began their staredown, until Asmo interrupted, “Told us what?” Satan turned to Asmo, and the look on his face almost made Asmo shrink back a bit in fear, but he repeated, “Tell us what?”

“Satan, don’t you-”

“Mc is here. In the Devildom,” and then looking straight at Lucifer, “As an angel.”

Everything stopped. No one moved as the news sunk in. Oddly enough, it was Levi who finally spoke, “H-H-Hold on. M-Mc?”

Satan responded, still keeping direct eye contact with Lucifer, “I heard her last night over the intercom.”

Lucifer was glaring at this point, “You must have been-”

“Mammon confirmed it.”

Everyone looked over to Mammon, who was gone.

“That little-”

“Don’t you DARE PUNISH HIM, WHEN YOU LIED TO US!” Satan was in full demon form at this point, his power oozing across the table, “WITHOUT MAMMON LAST NIGHT, THERE WOULD HAVE A LOT MORE PROBLEMS THAN THERE WAS!”

“Is it true Lucifer?” Beel was staring at Lucifer with sad puppy dog eyes.

“Satan wouldn’t lie about this,” Belphie said, his tail swishing around behind him, looking at Lucifer with absolute disgust.

Lucifer was now glaring at all the questioning eyes around the table, “This is not the time nor the place to discuss this. I need to-”

“You’re just going to leave?! After that bombshell?!” Levi’s voice was threatening to crack as he stood up, eyes wide, “My Henry is… a-alive,” his voice did crack on the word and his eyes were misty, “The one normie who understood me, and you didn’t think I would want to know this information?!”

“Of course he didn’t,” Belphie growled, his horns out, “This is the demon who would lock his own brother up in the attic. What does he care about us?”

“You wanted to keep her all for yourself, didn’t you?” Asmo shouted, tears rolling down his face.

“Does Lord Diavolo know about this?” Beel asked, still seeming to try to come to terms with what he just heard, brow furrowed.

“I really think we should all-” A plate went flying at Lucifer’s face, followed by a cup and a bowl.

“You think we should all do what? Submit to you just because you're the oldest? Forget that you kept the knowledge about Mc all to yourself? Rejoice that, again, you decided what’s best for all of us?”

Lucifer’s face went completely blank at that last line, Satan’s implied meaning not lost on him, “Enough. I am not discussing this any further.”

“You weren’t discussing it with us in the first place! Do you think I’m an idiot or something? Do you think we’re all idiots? Is that why you treat us the way you do?” Satan shouted at Lucifer as he left the room.

“How hard is it to find one angel among a world of demons?” Satan asked, not for the first time since he had started searching. After he had screamed at Lucifer, he had left the house, and started his search. If Mc was still in the Devildom, he was going to find her. He had been pretty optimistic about his chances of finding her when he started, knowing he had a really extensive network of acquaintances. Surely one of them would know where to find her.

Satan had now been out for three days trying to track her down, and was no closer to finding her than when he had first started. Anyone who had gone to the art show only questioned him on why he had been running and laughed when he said he had wanted to be at the center, wondering why he’d be so interested in an  _ angel _ that he had broken custom. No one seemed to have recognized her as Mc, though he knew some of them had met her. He had introduced them himself. No one had any pictures of the artist in question and the page that she had posted his artist talk on had been taken down.

He entered a park, sinking down on a bench, “Could I have misinterpreted Mammon? Is it not actually Mc?” he sighed into the open air around him. A soft wind was the only response. Satan sighed, lowering his head into his hands, “If I was wrong though, I don’t think Lucifer would have reacted the way he did. Mammon also slunk off to who knows where, and he wouldn’t have unless he was in trouble. It’s almost like she died again and everyone’s trying to keep me from finding out.” The soft scent of MoonBeam Flowers wafted through the air, “I didn’t know they grew around here,” Satan muttered, breathing in deeply, sinking into a memory.

“Oh! Satan! This one’s so pretty!” Mc grinned, running over to stare at the blooms, “Oh, and they smell so good too!”

Satan chuckled, “Don’t let my brothers hear you say that.”

“Why?”

“Well, these flowers are caused by angel feathers. They’re everywhere in the Celestial Realm, especially during molting season, so much so they’re basically a weed. The ones in the Celestial Realm smell a lot like roses, while the ones down here have a lot… darker and deeper scent. It’s still florally, but it’s got a lot more musk.

“When my brother’s and Lilith fell, their feathers scattered through the air as they lost their wings. Those feathers then landed and sprouted these flowers throughout the Devildom. All the colors are colors of the moon, and there’s one for each of them. Black is Lucifers, gold Mammon, yellow Levi, light pink Asmo, orange Belphie, and red Beel. Every so often, one of my feathers will fall, and those are white. Lilith’s were blue, but Beel and Belphie picked them all to put bouquets on her grave. Lucifer was going to have them all eradicated, but Diavolo liked them, especially the black ones, so here they remain.”

Mc looked at the blooms with new reverence, “Are there more black than any other color?”

“Yes, since he still has feathers.”

“Is it hard for your brothers to see the flowers?”

“I’m not sure if it’s worse seeing them for Asmo, Mammon, and Beel since their wings transformed or Levi and Belphie since they’ve completely lost their wings .”

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

“How do you feel about them?”

“I don’t have much feeling one way or another about my flowers. They simply are.”

“... Do you miss flying?” Mc’s voice was small, worried she’s stepped into territory she wasn’t allowed in.

“I guess, in a way, though I have never owned a pair of wings. I have memories of flight, but I myself have never flown of my own volition, so… I guess the answer is no.”

The conversation moved on from there, until they reached the end of the botanical garden, “I have a new favorite flower,” Mc announced.

“Which one? It’s still the mirage flower, isn’t it?”

“Nope.”

“What is it then?”

“MoonBeam Flowers of course, though the gold ones are a particular favorite,” she winked, grinning.

Satan was so caught up in his memory, he didn’t hear the hesitant footsteps as they approached him.

“Satan?”


	8. Taking Charge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, this was originally supposed to be about as large as the last chapter to make one whole, but then it just got huge, so hope you enjoy the length. We also get to see more of the other characters in this chapter (yay!).

“Barbatos! I was hoping I’d run into you!” Mc almost shouted, hurrying across the main hall.

Mc saw a flash of surprise until what she assumed was his usual unruffled demeanor returned, “Mc, good morning.”

“Good morning! I was wondering if there’s a library I can visit. I have some topics I’d like to research.”

“Ah, well, it is still rather early. I believe the Royal Library is still closed at this time,” Mc wilted a bit until he continued, “But I believe the Young Master would be alright with you browsing his personal collection. There will be restrictions with that, especially since I haven’t asked his permission, but I think you might be able to use it,” he smiled, completely polite.

“You think? I wouldn’t want to impose, but that would be amazing,” the prospect of being allowed access to the Prince of the Devildom’s personal collection was making her very excited.

“Hai. Just let me finish a couple of things and we can go visit it.”

“Okay! Thank you very much!” Mc gushed before she could stop herself. Barbatos smiled, and inclined his head before walking away. She found the nearest chair, prepared to wait as long as necessary.

Turning inward, she took stock of what she was going to be looking for so she didn’t get distracted, when a voice boomed behind her, “Mc! What are you doing up at this hour?”

“Lord Diavolo,” Mc said, standing and bowing a bit.

“I already told you, there’s no need for that,” Diavolo laughed, waving his hands hastily, a bit flustered, “You can also call me Diavolo. You’re a guest in my house after all.”

“If you would prefer. I don’t want to be rude.”

“Oh, don’t be silly,” Diavolo laughed.

“My lord, I think I’m going to head-” a rather deep voice called out before abruptly stopping, causing both Mc and Diavolo to look behind Diavolo. A tall demon with black hair fading to white at the tips stood with a look of utter shock on his face, halfway through throwing a coat over his shoulders. Mc quickly noted his ensemble was very sophisticated, a red vest and tie complimenting the near black of the rest of his clothes and matching fur on the collar. The next thing, which made her gasp, was the fact his eyes were mostly black with some red. Though she’d seen some strange eye colors since coming to the Devildom, but his were the only black ones.

“Ah, Lucifer. This is my guest-”

“Mc,” the demon, Lucifer, breathed, relaxing his arms, coat touching the floor.

“Ah, yes. I’m sure that is pretty easy to extrapolate,” Lucifer’s eyes snapped to Diavolo and a short, unspoken conversation passed between them, before Lucifer turned his attention back to her, walking forward, an assured smile on his face, “I do not believe we have been introduced. I am Lucifer, Avatar of Pride,” and he extended his hand.

“I’m Mc,” she extended her hand to shake his, but he grabbed it, bringing it to his lips. Up close she could see how tired he looked even through the act.

smiling uncomfortably and extracting her hand as delicately as she could, “Ah, yes,” she said, “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Of course. I would assume it hasn’t been very charitable,” he said, his eyes narrowing slightly at her removing her hand, his tone going flat.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say that,” Mc countered, “Simeon doesn’t mind you too much.”

“Ah. You are acquainted with Simeon?”

“Of course. He did help raise me after all.”

“I see. I was unaware he had taken on a younger angel besides Luke.”

“Well, when you won’t call, or respond to his texts, he can’t tell you much,” she answered, her voice overly sweet.

He grunted in response, “Well, I am going home to have breakfast with my brothers, by your leave,” he said, purposefully turning from Mc. She narrowed her eyes, her brain brimming with comebacks for being snubbed. She fought with herself not to throw them at him as Diavolo answered.

“Of course Lucifer. I’m sorry to keep you so late.” 

Lucifer bowed slightly to Diavolo, and looked over at Mc, “Nice to meet you. It’s good for you to help Diavolo help unite the realms.”

“You too. It’s nice to finally meet the man everyone seems so caught up on.”

Lucifer seemed a bit confused by her comment but inclined his head to her, and then started walking away.

“So Mc, we got interrupted. What are you doing up at this time?”

“Oh, I was waiting for Barbatos. I want to do some research, and he mentioned you might be alright with me making use of your personal library until the Royal Library opens up today. Of course, if you’re not okay with that, I completely understand. I was just hoping to start it as soon as possible.”

Diavolo nodded as she spoke, “That should be alright. Of course, there are sections of it even Lucifer isn’t allowed in, so your access would be somewhat restricted, but I could do that for my Guest of Honor.”

“Thank you very much. I really appreciate that,” Mc answered, a lot more restrained than she had with Barbatos.

“Shall we?”

Mc looked around in awe, knowing many of the books that sat on these shelves she’d never seen before, “It’s amazing.”

“Ah, it’s quite modest, especially compared to… other demon’s I know.”

“That doesn’t make it any less amazing,” Mc assured, smiling over her shoulder at him.

“Thank you. So, you can take anything from… here…. To here,” he said, walking in front of 5 bookcases that reached to the ceiling.

“Is it alright if I fly to reach the top, or would you rather I find a ladder?” Mc asked.

“As long as it won’t leave a large mess of papers to clean up later, it should be fine. You should know, some demons do have access to my library. You won’t be assured your privacy.”

“Thank you for the warning,” Mc acknowledged, “So I know, who else has access?”

“Well, myself. Barbatos. Lucifer. Sa-... One of his younger brothers. I believe that’s it.”

“Ah, good to know. Thank you,” Mc said, filing the slip up away in her brain.

“So, what topic did you want to research? I can help point you in the right direction,” Diavolo offered.

“Oh, I was thinking about some general Devildom history. There’s so little of it in the Celestial Realm, and I think it would help me acclimatize to my new environment better.”

“You’re that interested in our history?” Diavolo seemed surprised but pleased.

“Of course,” Mc smiled.

“Ah, well, I don’t have a ton in this section, but I could grab you some from one of the other sections. Hold on,” and Diavolo took off in search of the books in question. He returned a bit later with three rather thick tomes, “You can read these, but they can’t leave this room.”

“Understood. Thank you,” Mc tried to take the books from Diavolo but almost dropped them because they were so heavy.

Diavolo chuckled, taking the top two and moving them to a nearby desk, “Breakfast is a couple hours still. I’m assuming you’re going to stay here and read until then. I’ll have someone come and fetch you at that point.”

“Thank you again!” Mc said, sitting down and cracking the cover of the first book. When she heard the door shut, she turned to the glossary, “S…. S…. This book is huge… Ah, S… Ha! Found you.”

“I hear you were up rather early this morning Mc,” Michael said at breakfast.

“I couldn’t sleep, and Diavolo was kind enough to let me use his personal library,” Mc explained, “You know how it is when inspiration strikes.”

The three angels sat at breakfast. Diavolo had left earlier in the meal, something important taking him away.

“You’re already planning your next show?” Luke asked, a bit surprised.

“Well, it’s more like I remembered an old show idea I had, and I think I finally have the experience to finally make it happen,” Mc answered cryptically.

“What idea’s that?” Michael asked.

“That’s for me to know and you to find out,” Mc winked, “Though that does remind me, I’m going to be in and out of the castle for the next little bit.”

“Are you sure that’s the safest thing for you to do alone?” Michael asked, concerned.

“I’ll be fine. I’m going to go get some street clothes to help me blend in and I’m not going to do anything that might get me in trouble. Many of the demons around here are also very loyal to Diavolo and won’t search out problems with one of his personal guests. If worse comes to worse, I am about as powerful or more powerful than a lot of the lower level demons in this area.”

“You seem to have given this a lot of thought,” Luke said, narrowing his eyes slightly.

“Of course I did. I started thinking about this once Michael said I could come down here. I need to go where…”

“Go where inspiration strikes, yes I know. I just don’t really like the idea of my little sister wandering around the Devildom by herself.”

“Well, do you want to tail me for a day or two? See how great your little sister is at disguise?” When Luke only gave her a wary look, Mc continued, “Tell you want. You can come with me as I pick out some clothes. Then, you give me a ten minute head start to hide myself in the crowd. If you find me, I won’t go out by myself while we’re here. But, if you can’t find me by… 8 o’clock tonight, and I make it back to the castle safely, I obviously know how to disguise myself well enough to be safe, and I don’t need a chaperone for this trip.”

Luke narrowed his eyes, “I don’t think that’s quite how it works…”

Mc leaned back in her chair, “Then how does it work? If I am able to blend in enough to hide from my own brother, I think I deserve some level of automnity.”

“We need to set some kind of boundaries so you don’t just go running off in some random direction.”

Mc inclined her head, “Fair enough. How about anywhere from Purgatory Hall to Rad and the castle to Rad? That gives a clear triangle that I could be in, and Majolish is within that area.”

“You also can’t spend all day in one place,” Luke added, the idea taking root in his mind.

“Fine. I can also use anything I buy at Majolish to disguise myself then,” Mc stipulated, not that Luke’s addition was anything she was worried about.

“You’ve got a deal,” Luke grinned, extending his hand across the table.

Mc shook his hand, “Well, I’m ready to go if you are.”

“Let me grab a coat,” Luke said, leaving the room.

“He has reason to be worried,” Michael said once Luke had left the room, “I don’t remember that being part of our agreement.for you to come down here.”

“It wasn’t, but I simply agreed to have you two accompany me. As it is, I do understand there can be a lot of danger down here. Not all demons are happy with angels visiting, and I haven’t been here in a long time. However, I would like to prove myself to you two. If it makes you feel better, if Luke fails today, you can take his place tomorrow and try to find me.”

Michael considered her words, before nodding to himself, “I accept your challenge.”

“Sounds good. Now, I’m going to meet Luke,” Mc tried to walk away, but Michael grabbed her wrist before she could, “Do you need something else?”

“As a matter of fact… I heard you met Lucifer this morning,” Michael’s voice was soft.

“Oh, yeah that. I did,” Mc said, voice flat.

“What… How…”

“You should really see if Diavolo will reintroduce you guys,” Mc smiled.

“You think?”

“Doesn’t hurt to try,” Mc answered. Luke entered the room again, throwing his coat on, “We’re off. See you sometime after 8 tonight.”

“Oh you think so?” Luke challenged, as they walked away.

“Oh, I know so. It’s-” Mc’s voice cut off as the door swung shut.

“... Ask Diavolo huh?”

Mc watched Luke walk past for the upthenth time and grinned. It was almost 8, and she had managed to evade him the entire day. He had been extremely assured of his success at Majolish, but she had watched his confidence dwindle with the time. She knew it would be easy to trick him, but she hadn’t expected it to be as easy as he had made it. 

She was about to get up to leave when Luke walked in through the door. He was still in his angel regalia, and all the demon’s looked up and conversation stopped. Having seen this reaction multiple times now, Mc followed suit. She worked to keep her expression neutral as his eyes swept over the cafe, looking for her. She was again grateful to the cashier who had talked her into buying the eye color changing potion. It had saved her on multiple occasions. Not seeing her, Luke walked up to the counter and ordered some pastry, and then walked out sighing.

Mc pulled out her DDD, and checked the time, ‘7:59. Well, might as well go meet him.’ She grabbed her shopping bag and walked out the door. The street was less busy than she’d seen it all day, so picking her brother out of the crowd wasn’t a problem. She started walking towards him at the same pace he was going until the alarm on her phone notified her it was 8. She started running towards him, and then wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, “That was fun big brother, but it’s 8 o’clock and I’m feeling tired. Let’s go back.”

Luke jumped, and then groaned, “I couldn’t find you the whole day, but you knew where I was?”

“Not the whole day, but I saw which way you went after you left the cafe,” Mc grinned, falling into step beside him.

“Wait! You were in that cafe?”

“Yup. You looked straight at me. You ordered a scone with bitter berry jam right?”

Luke sighed, “Fine. I admit it. You’re way too good at this. I lose.”

Mc was still excited from her landslide victory against Luke, but she was already planning on how to beat Michael. Part of the reason Luke had been so easy to evade was that he stuck out like a sore thumb, choosing to be unabashedly an angel among demons. Michael was a different story though. She knew he was actually very good at blending into his surroundings when he wanted to from the work he did in the human realm. She figured he would take the same approach, and disguise himself as a demon, so she would have to watch her behavior the whole time, which would be more difficult than it had been with Luke. He was also significantly more powerful than Luke, so he probably had some disguise magics hidden away.

“Ah, you two are back,” Michael was waiting outside the double doors with Diavolo when they walked up, “I don’t need to ask to find out how it went.”

“I admit, I underestimated Mc,” Luke said, sighing slightly again.

“I hope you’re ready to face me tomorrow Mc.”

“Me too.”

Michael inclined his head and then gestured to Diavolo, “I believe Prince Diavolo wanted to speak with you about something Mc, so I’m going to go with Luke to the dining hall,” and with that, the other two angels left them.

“I love this idea Mc. It’s so fun!”

“Oh, thank you. I’m just trying to gain some independence down here.”

“I will admit, I do worry about what some of my less… dutiful subjects might do, but I want to thank you for encouraging Michael to talk to me, so I would like to see if I can be of any assistance in aiding you.”

“You’d do that for me?” Mc was taken aback.

“Mc, I’ve been trying to get new stories about Lucifer in the Celestial Realm for far too long. Michael and I spent the day exchanging stories back and forth and it was the most enjoyable day I’ve had in a long time. You gave me that. I also want you to feel comfortable here, so if that’s the way to do it, I’m willing to help you. I’m also sure he’s trying to pick Luke’s brain to get a grasp on what you might do. I’m just helping level the playing field”

“Well, if you can help, I’m not going to say no,” Mc said which made Diavolo grin.

Mc hadn’t caught one trace of Michael all day. She knew what outfit he had decided to wear and that he had darkened his hair and had it in the normal long braid down his back, but it hadn’t helped at all. Not that she had been looking very hard. Diavolo’s insights on how his subjects reacted to different stimuli had been extremely useful, and she had adjusted her behavior accordingly. She had also been pleased to see the potion had given her a different eye color today and she had worn a different outfit. Overall, she felt like she had done a really good job blending in, but she still had an hour to go.

“Excuse me. Is this seat taken?”

Mc brought herself out of her thoughts, and, putting on a face of complete disinterest looked up at who was addressing her. Diavolo had told her demons really only spoke to each other if it was someone they knew really well, it was someone they wanted to get to know better, someone they wanted to fight, or if they had to. Only someone who knew they had a higher status than the addressor was able to ignore them or it was seen as extremely rude and was more than enough grounds to pick a fight. 

“Nah. Ya can sit if ya wan’,” Mc answered, pitching her voice down and taking on an accent. She wasn’t sure, but she thought this might be Michael since she hadn’t been addressed all day. The face was familiar enough it could’ve been him, but he had obviously either used glamour magic to disguise himself, or he was a makeup genius. The outfit was right, though it hid his build very well, and so was the height. 

The stranger took the seat across from her, and pulled out a book. Mc scrolled through Devilgram, but made sure her ringtone was on silent. If he had plotted with Luke to call her when he thought he had found her, he had another thing coming. Diavolo had thought of it, along with changing her contact names and turning off her DDD’s location. As time passed, Mc started wondering how long she had to wait until it was socially acceptable to get up. They had been sitting in silence for 30 minutes, and she was getting more and more anxious as time passed, her nervous habits threatening to come out. After another 15, she decided it had probably been enough time. She made her DDD vibrate a couple of times, before getting up.

“Leaving so soon?” the stranger asked, and Mc almost yelped. She was barely able to keep her face under control. It was Michael’s voice and he was grinning.

“My frien’ jus asked meh tah meet ‘em a’ Hell’s Kitchen.”

“You sure about that?” Michael asked, eyes glittering.

Mc was saved from answering, as a hush fell over the crowd, and the whispering started.

“Are you sure you want to keep looking Lucifer? You know how he is; if he doesn’t want to be found he won’t be found,” a voice whined.

“Did I say I wanted to stop looking?” the edge in Lucifer’s voice was intense.

Mc turned to see an attractive strawberry blonde demon pouting at Lucifer. The black-haired demon did not seem impressed by the display.

“Lucifer,” Michael breathed, eyes wide, “And Asmodeus.”

“Why don’t we just ask this cafe if anyone’s seen him?” Asmodeus asked, and then got up on a table, “Yoohoo! Everyone! It’s me Asmo! Yeah, thank you for your attention. I need your help!”

“Asmodeus…” Lucifer warned, voice low.

“My brother Satan’s gone missing and we need to find him apparently. Has anyone seen him?”

“Oh, oh, oh!” A demon called from the back of the restaurant, “I haven’t seen him, but Asmo you look divine today!”

“Oh, you flatter me, darling,” Asmo flirted back, winking. Lucifer looked like he was about to combust.

“I saw him the other day in the Royal Gallery at an art opening,” another demon called out.

“Oh, thank you, but he went missing after that. Anyone else?... No? Oh well,” and with that Asmo got off the table, “I think it’s just a lost cause until he comes back, Lucifer.”

“Why can’t I take any of you anywhere?” Lucifer sighed, the tired look Mc had seen the day before coming back.

Demons were now getting out of their seats and were starting to crowd the two demons. Mc used the moment to slip away from Michael, moving with the throng of bodies and disappearing out the door. She thanked her lucky stars that there was a healthy crowd in the streets, melting into the masses. She didn’t know if Michael was following her, but she made her way to Hell’s Kitchen anyway. If there was any doubt in his mind, maybe this could save her.

She wandered in and found a similar situation of what she had just left, though it was now a tall orange-haired male being surrounded. She looked around and saw a demon sitting all by himself. She pushed through to him and sat across from him.

He gave her a confused but sleepy look, “What are you doing?”

“Someone’s tailing me, and I’m trying to lose them. Can you pretend to be my friend for like… 8 more minutes?”

The demon’s look switched to mischievous, “What’s in it for me?”

“I… I don’t have any Grimm on me, but I’ll do basically anything. Just, please, help me.”

“It’s dangerous to ask a demon for help without setting a price. You do know that right?”

“Yes, I do. I just… What do you want?”

“Hmmm… You’re an angel right?” Mc blinked, completely caught off guard as the demon laughed, “Your disguise is pretty good you know. I just happen to be better,” his purple eyes danced in merriment.

“I… Yes.”

“Good girl. Hmm... How about you and your angel friends come to the House of Lamentation for dinner sometime?”

“I… Wait, that’s it?”

“Yes.”

“Sure. Deal.”

“Perfect. Hand me your DDD and I’ll give you my contact information,” he gestured lazily, and she handed it over. She watched him warily the whole time. Why would he want her to come over with Luke and Michael for dinner?

“Hey Belphie, it’s time to go,” a deep voice sounded from her left, “No one’s seen him.”

“Oh Beel, right on time. I believe it’s been 8 minutes, so you’re out of danger now right?”

Mc looked at the time and released a breath she hadn’t known she was holding. 8 o’clock right on the money, “Yes. Thank you…”

“Belphegor,” he leaned in close and whispered to her, “Now, don’t forget your promise, Mc.”

She looked up in shock to see his smug grin and he and the tall demon, Beelzebub probably walked out. 

Mc was expecting to have to fight for her victory when she got back to the castle, but oddly enough, Michael told everyone he had gotten close, but she had ultimately beat him. He seemed shaken, and though she had her suspicions as to why she wasn't going to argue with his decision. She had secretly thanked Diavolo for his help to which he had just laughed and told her to go enjoy herself but to make sure to be careful.

Mc grinned, the darkness of the Devildom making her feel free. She had rarely been able to be truly alone in the Celestial Realm and now she had no one watching her every move or trying to control her actions. Luke had stayed in the castle to catch up with Barbados and Michael and Diavolo had become fast friends. She was a bit concerned about the promise she had made to Belphegor, but her sense of freedom far outweighed any worry she had.

"Not that he did anything," she muttered.

She had spent the whole day visiting all the places she remembered as a child and some places she had only heard about from Simeon and Luke. She had only hovered in the outside garden of RAD, feeling very self-conscious. She found she remembered the streets really well, which surprised her. She hadn't had to ask for directions once. It probably helped that she had spent 5he last two days roaming the streets.

She could not enact her grand plan. Step one, find Satan. She hadn't allowed herself to think about it in the moment, but the fact he was missing put a large wrench in her plan. He could be anywhere by now.

A scent caught her nose. It was a familiar scent though she could have sworn she had never smelt it before. It was heavy even in the chill air, a deep heady scent that tickled at something in the back of her head. Looking around, she saw a park nearby and a flowerbed of what looked to be Feather flowers though they were not the right colors. Plus, Feather flowers had to have the sun to bloom and they did not smell as exquisite. What were these then, and why were they featured in a flower bed?

The creaking of a park bench pulled her from her thoughts. She thought she was alone, so the sound came as a shock. The figure on the bench was a bit far away, but she could tell one thing and that was that they had blonde hair. She made her way slowly over to the figure, her heart pounding and hands shaking a bit. Was it? Could it be…

“Satan?”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's finally happening, everyone!

“Satan?”

A jolt ran through his body. Was that?...

“Is that you?”

His head snapped up to reveal Mc. Standing in front of him. Like she had never left.  _ She looks really resistant though. Why does she?... Oh! Smile! Smile stupid! _

Her anxious look melted away, and she grinned back at him, “I can’t believe I actually found you.”

_ Wait, she was out looking for me? _

“Your brothers are out looking for you. I ran into some of them yesterday.”

“They’re out looking for me?”  _ That’s what you’re going to ask about? Not her? How she’s doing? Anything? _

“Yeah…” Mc clapped her hands in front of her body nervously, “So, I’m not sure if you remember me-”

“Of course I remember you!” Satan blurted out rather loudly. His eyes took in her look of growing astonishment but glee, and he could feel the walls he had built around his newfound emotions crumble, along with his carefully crafted facade. The last time he had been this unguarded was…  _ No. I am not thinking about that right now. She’s here; that’s all there is. Everything will be alright now.  _

She looked down demurely, a blush on her cheeks. A lock of her hair fell over her face and he was about to brush it behind her ear when she spoke again, “That makes me so happy to hear. I was really worried you wouldn’t.”

“How could I not?” He couldn’t hide the tenderness that creeped into his voice. She was just so beautiful. 

“Well, I figured interactions like that were either common place or not worth remembering,”

_ Wait? Didn’t I tell her she’s the only person I’ve ever been in love with? _

“- And I’m sure I was annoying-”

_ Huh? _

“But you were so kind and patient. Even writing me that note. I still have it you know,” she blushed again, surely saying more than she had meant to, but Satan was still trying to process her words. A silence creeped in between them, which she nervously filled, “I really took your advice to heart. You opened up a world for me I’m not sure I could’ve found otherwise, so I wanted to come back and thank you.”

“I… Uhh… To what exactly are you referring?” He knew his voice was flat, but he couldn’t help it. His mask had plastered itself to his face as a defence mechanism. He really didn’t understand what she was saying, and he watched as she registered the change in demeanor.

“Well, when you helped me out as a child. I got separated from my brother, Luke, and you helped me back to Purgatory Hall.”

Satan’s mind went completely blank before all his thoughts came rushing in at once.  _ Oh. I forgot. When someone goes to the Celestial Realm they lose their memories. She doesn’t remember being human. She doesn’t remember being an exchange student. She doesn’t remember me. _

Some part of his brain had been working on the particular exchange in question, “Luke’s your brother right?” He was surprised that anything was coming out of his mouth, much less anything even pertaining to the memory, even as it felt like everything inside his mind was breaking. Cracking like glass.

“Yes,” her words were enthusiastic enough, but her face told a different story, “I was hoping you’d remember. I know I probably wasn’t that interesting to talk to back then, but I can assure you I’ve learned a lot since then. I’ve read every book on your list multiple times. Well, except for Candide. I really didn’t like that book,” she was babbling, nervous at his lack of reaction.

“Oh, don’t worry about that. It was nice to find someone willing to learn. I wouldn’t have bothered with the letter had I found you boring,” Satan was trying his best, but he couldn’t keep the hollow, offhand tone his voice had taken.  _ I haven’t spoken to her like this since before the trip to London. _

“Hah, uh, good to know,” Mc laughed, “Oh, I heard you went to my show. Oh, if you don’t know, I’m Jane Doe.”

“I did go. I couldn’t get out of the maze.”

“Oh, sorry about that. I told Diavolo, that is, Lord Diavolo, that the maze was a bit big and the amount of work he had me bring was insane, but he said something about people that really wanted to get to the center, would. I think it did rush a lot of the people that were there, since the discussions I had were a bit lackluster, but, uh, yeah. I wish you could’ve made it,” she spoke haltingly at the end, seeming to lose a lot of the steam she had when she looked at him.  _ It’s because my expression hasn’t changed at all. _

They stood there in silence a bit before Mc broke it, “So, I’m going to head back to the castle, I guess… Ummm, yeah. Thanks for the… talk. Okay,” and she turned around with a sad look on her face.

Before he could process what he was doing, he had grabbed her wrist, “Wait!”

She turned around, pretty shocked by his actions. He dropped her wrist with an embarrassed cough. He could feel his cheeks burning up, and he had to look away, “I mean, could I walk you there?”

Mc’s mouth worked wordlessly for a second, before stuttering out, “Y-yeah, if you w-want.”

Satan kept his hands behind his back, as they started walking, not trusting them not to betray him again. He knew he was stiff but the cracks in his mind threatened to shatter with one wrong move. He kept looking over at Mc as slyly as he could. She was holding the wrist he had grabbed, and seemed a little uncomfortable. He cursed himself for not being able to speak.  _ This is all I’ve ever wanted since she… left, and I can’t even talk to her. Even about something mundane like the weather. Why am I so weak sometimes? _

As the silence stretched on, he could feel the awkward atmosphere increase.  _ Say something! What’s the point of having this much knowledge if I can’t even figure out what to say? _ He almost sighed as the castle came into view, simply because it meant relief. Soon, they were at the front gate and then the front doors.

Mc coughed quietly, grabbing Satan’s attention, “Thank you for walking me here. I appreciate it,” she smiled at him though it was small.

_ Oh no you idiot. Say something! Anything! _

“Of course. It was a pleasure.”

_ Seriously, that’s all you have to say?! _

Mc raised her eyebrows slightly, nodding a little bit, seemingly unconvinced, “Well, bye then.”

“Yes. Goodbye,” Satan said, and he actually turned around and started walking away, though his brain was screaming at him to stay. He heard the door shut behind him, the sound making him flinch. Once he was out of the gate, he finally shattered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lucifer was tired. Not only had they been out searching for three days, the only lead they had gotten was someone who said Satan had come around asking about the art show. Lucifer had even been in contact with Diavolo to ask if Satan had been to the castle, but it had been a negative. He wasn’t sure why he was so insistent to find Satan this time around. He’d never worried too much about his disappearances before as long as it didn’t affect his schooling. Something inside him was worried about him though.

He slung his coat over his couch, and a sound further in his room made him freeze, quickly gathering his power.

“That’s why you didn’t tell us, isn’t it?”

“Satan, where have you been and why are you lurking in my room?”

“It’s because she doesn’t remember us.”

The pain in Satan’s voice caused Lucifer to stop. Deciding it was easier to have this conversation when he was willing to talk rather than trying to force him, “Yes, partially.”

“And the other part?”

“Well, how do you tell your family that their favorite human is back from the dead, but is now an angel who doesn’t remember them at all so no, you can’t just go see her? Lord Diavolo also told me not to,” Lucifer answered, walking over to his fireplace to start it.

“That’s fair.” The lack of emotion in Satan’s voice made Lucifer frown slightly.

“Well, I was saved from trying to explain it since you so flippantly announced it at breakfast,” Lucifer goaded, getting the wood to ignite.

“Oh, yeah, I did do that. Sorry.” The admission of guilt had Lucifer flipping around to make sure it was actually Satan in his room, and the sight that met his eyes made him gasp. It was Satan, but he looked awful.

“What happened?” Lucifer asked, voice hushed.

Satan didn’t even lift his eyes, “I searched for her. She found me. We talked. She only remembers me from a meeting we had when she was a young angel. I made a fool of myself. She’s back at the castle. I’m…” he left the sentence hanging, his eyes more dead than after the funeral. Not that Lucifer remembered much about that time himself.

Lucifer sat himself in the other chair, staring into the fire. If Satan was ready to talk to him, he was not going to ruin it.

“I didn’t think I’d be able to hurt like this again. I thought I’d locked away my feelings and learned to cope, but one sight of her and I crumbled. All my defenses gone. She got in and then broke me. I had to walk around cracked, ready to shatter at any moment. The impossibility of the situation would make me laugh if I could.”

“She did know you though.”

“Huh?”

“It may not be the memory you want, but she does remember you. Was it a bad memory?”

“... No.”

“That’s something then,” Lucifer could feel Satan’s incredulous look without looking over. He drug out the moment, going over to his liquor cabinet and pouring himself and Satan a glass of demonus, “The way I see it, you have a chance to win Mc’s heart again. You get to watch her fall in love again. You get to have all your firsts again. There’s a lot of entities out there who would be jealous of your position,” he offered Satan the glass, which he took but didn’t drink from, before he continued, “Take Luke for example. He saw the opportunity to become her big brother, and he took it. I hear from Diavolo they’re quite close now, and though he doesn’t always admit it, Luke absolutely adores his little sister. He took his chance and never looked back.”

“... You think I can win her back? I am a demon and she is an angel now.”

“Your differences in station didn’t stop you when her lifespan was only going to be about a century. Wrath incarnate fell for a weak human who couldn’t even stay alive long enough for you to see her grow old. Why would her being an angel be a problem? If anything, though she is still young, she has obviously learned a lot in that time. She is more your equal now than she was before.”

“How would that even work?”

“How did your relationship with her before work? How were you planning on it ending?”

“... No. No. I could never ask her to fall for me. Never! I know how agonizing it was for you guys. I could never hurt her like that!”

“There’s more that can happen to an angel than falling,” Lucifer grunted, “I also don’t think it’s your choice on if she falls or not. That’s her decision to make.”

Satan sat forward in the chair, glass clenched in his hands, green eyes reflecting the flames. When he didn’t speak for a while, Lucifer decided to try another tactic, “I know Lord Diavolo has absolutely no problems with you two being together and completely condones the match. I… I as well think it’s a good match up and I believe you can win her back with no problems. The question is what you’re going to do?” He looked over, bringing his glass to his lips. 

Satan hadn’t changed positions, but his eyes now showed determination, “I need some parchment and a pen.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love reading you guy's comments so feel free to drop them down below!


	10. Chapter 10

After Mc shut the door, she slid down the door to the floor, head in her hands.  _ Well, that couldn’t have gone worse. I would’ve rather had him ignore me or not remember me at all. I could’ve figured out how to interact with him in those situations. But what was with him being sweet in the beginning, and then just seizing up? Then he grabbed my wrist and seemed super worried about me leaving and then didn’t even say anything the whole walk?! That goodbye too! What was that?! _

The more Mc thought about the whole thing, the more upset she got. She leaned her head back against the door, her brain replaying the beginning of the conversation trying to figure out what had gone wrong. Remembering the look in his eyes as he had fervently declared he remembered her. The warmth of his voice.

Then the progressive unease as she had continued talking until the abrupt emotional cutoff. He had obviously been uninterested in talking with her any longer, though she really couldn’t figure out why. He had been so dismissive.  _ But when I tried to leave…  _ She looked down at the wrist he had grabbed.  _ He sounded so… desperate. Like he truly didn’t want to let me leave. So, why didn’t he talk to me? _

“Mc? Are you alright?” Michael asked, stepping into the entrance hall with Diavolo.

“I’m… I’m fine. Diavolo, do you have a music room?” Mc asked, standing up as nonchalantly as she could.

“Yes, of course.”

“Do you have a piano, or similar instrument?”

“Yes…”

“May I use it for the rest of the day? I need to compose.”

“I… Sure. I’ll have Lil’ D No. 2 show you the way,” and as he said that, a small demon appeared and beckoned her forward, and she promptly followed.

“Oh dear,” Michael sighed, eyes following Mc.

“What’s wrong,” Diavolo asked, thoroughly confused by the whole encounter.

“She is definitely not alright. She can only compose when she’s really emotional about something.”

“I… Wait, is she going to let us hear it when she’s done?” Diavolo asked, eyes lighting up.

Mc sat down at the piano. It was an almost pure black grand, and the key colors were reversed, which was messing with her brain visually. The piano bench lid was made from a beautiful dark red wood, the rest the same black as the rest of the piano. The piano did not look worn, but it was obviously old. 

Sitting down, Mc started playing her normal warm-up scales, but quickly stopped when she realized they didn’t sound right.  _ It’s in minor… _

Trying out all the keys, she realized the whole piano was in minor. You could play major chords, but it was like making major chords on a normal piano.  _ Interesting. _

Mc continued playing and getting warmed up, wanting to explore the amazing opportunity that had presented itself. She started playing some of her own creations, marveling at how different her songs sounded. As she was playing, she remembered a song she had abandoned a long time ago. Though it should have sounded correct, she had never been able to make it sound correct.  _ I wonder… _

She started playing the song, and was amazed to find just how perfect it sounded. It was the same song, but it now sounded perfect. Encouraged, Mc tried to continue composing, but she couldn’t get past where she had already composed, no matter how much she worked on it. Discouraged and a little frustrated, Mc look at her DDD and was surprised to see it was almost time for dinner.

Standing up, she promised herself she’d come back later, and work on it more.

“I’ve decided to throw a ball in Mc’s honor!”

Michael and Mc looked up from their dinner at the proclamation. Luke seemed unphased by the announcement.

“A ball? In my honor?”

“Yes! You’re my honored guest after all.”

“He also loves throwing balls,” Luke added.

“Also that,” Diavolo admitted.

“Well, I’d be honored. Thank you.”

“Perfect! It’ll be held a week from today. Barbados! Make sure invitations are sent and food is ready.”

“Yes sir,” Mc jumped, not realizing Barbados was in the room, turning around to see him exit. She was starting to notice the butler seemed to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

“Is a week too fast?” Mc asked worriedly.

“Nonsense! This is a lot more notice than I usually give if I’m going to be honest,” Diavolo laughed.

“For a whole ball to be planned?”

“Yes! Barbados is one hell of a butler,” Diavolo grinned over his teacup, before taking a sip.

Mc sat in her room and mused over the events of the day. Now that she had calmed down enough to think rationally, she started analyzing Satan’s behavior and found she really couldn’t make sense of it. _Unless he thought I was someone else…_ _Wait. That makes a lot of sense actually. Like not a ton of sense, because he should have realized I wasn’t them before I started talking about meeting him before, but more than anything else I can think of. He may have also been a little… unhinged. He did look like he hadn’t slept in three days…_

Satisfied enough that her brain could rest, she snuggled down into her blankets. Every time she closed her eyes, however, all she saw was Satan’s face as he had grabbed her wrist. She brought her other hand up to her wrist and grabbed it. Now smiling, she drifted off to sleep.

_ Mc snorted, shifting a bit as she read. The bed was comfortable, the scent of its owner making her feel safe and comforted. Classes had been long and when the demon that sat behind her had gotten up, they had accidentally hit her in the head with their bag pretty hard, which had made Mammon nearly kill them. She had narrowly saved their life by assuring him it had been an accident and somehow calming her guardian demon down. This then had resulted in her being called into talk with Lucifer about what had happened, and so she had missed her Devildom History course. _

_ She had come to Satan’s room to grab the notes he had thoughtfully taken for her, but when he saw how worn out she was, he had offered a quiet evening of reading and tea. She hadn’t been able to refuse, seeing as how she relished anytime she could get with him. The scent of old books and their caretaker was a surefire way to help her unwind from the day, the stacks of books throughout the room making her feel like they were in their own little world. The outside world glittered in the perpetual darkness through Satan’s large windows. _

_ “What’s so amusing?” Satan asked from the armchair he had moved over by his bed once their reading sessions became a normal occurrence. _

_ “‘ _ _ We all know him to be a proud, unpleasant sort of man; but this would be nothing if you really liked him’” Mc quoted. _

_ “Ah! ‘You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.’” Satan said, a cheeky grin on his face. _

_ Mc’s brain stopped functioning for a second, “Wai… Wha…?” _

_ “Pride and Prejudice right?” _

_ “Oh, hehe, right,” Mc laughed, trying to hide behind her book as best she could as all her blood rushed to her face, “It’s a good quote.” _

_ “You know, when it came out, there was a rumor going around that Mr. Darcy was based off of Lucifer.” _

_ “Wait… You’re joking.” _

_ “No. He had been spending a lot of time in the human realm. Sometimes we wouldn’t see him for weeks at a time. Then, he just stopped going up as much. About a year later, Pride and Prejudice was released. After the rumor started, Lucifer would not allow it in the house for the longest time. He even went so far as to ask Diavolo not to allow it in the Devildom at all.” _

_ Satan had Mc’s full attention at this point, “What was his excuse?” _

_ “Something about a stupid romance novel ruining his reputation, and how we needed to be the voice of reason for the lower demons if they were going to allow themselves to be so easily swayed to believe the nonsense.” _

_ “You had a copy though, right?” _

_ “Oh, of course I did. I still do actually. First edition. I even went up to the human realm to get it.” _

_ “Wow… That explains so much though. Lucifer is like the epitome of Mr. Darcy.” _

_ Satan shifted in his chair, and looked down at his book, “You think so?” _

_ “Yeah. Tall, dark, handsome,” Mc watched as Satan sunk a bit lower in his chair at each word, seeming to get fairly upset, “Standoffish. Rude. Conceitful. Overbearing.” _

_ “Ah, so you’re not a fan of Mr. Darcy?” _

_ “Hmmm… I wouldn’t say that. He is her most popular leading man for a reason. But…” _

_ “But?” Satan was looking at her now, his eyes probably larger and more insistent than he meant them to be.  _

_ “He’s far too prideful in the beginning for me. We probably wouldn’t have gotten anywhere,” Mc watched Satan relax visibly before continuing, “While I enjoy Pride and Prejudice, I’d rather read Sense and Sensibility or Northanger Abbey. I would rather have a Mr. Tilney or possibly even a Colonel Brandon. Someone who I could sit and make jokes with. Someone who would read to me. Someone I could go on adventures with and who could tell me all about this or that because they’re so well-read,” Mc was looking down at the cover of the book now, and she could tell her face was heating up, “I’d much rather have someone like that.” _

_ There was silence after Mc stopped talking, and she dared not look up. She’d basically just confessed to Satan, and she hadn’t even meant to. She kinda hoped her words went over his head, but also hoped they didn’t. The silence stretched longer than Mc would’ve liked before the bed shifted. _

_ There were another few moments of silence before Satan spoke, a bit haltingly, “Mc, will you look at me? Please?” _

_ Mc lifted her eyes shyly looking a little sheepish. She only had a moment of Satan’s shocked look before there was a flash of gold and his lips were on hers. She was so shocked she couldn’t respond for a second, but then she returned the kiss, melting as her body was on fire. Completely focused on the moment while soaring through the clouds. Perfect. It was perfect. _

Mc came back to consciousness, her alarm playing soft piano music. She reached out her arms grasping. Searching. Coming up empty, she cracked an eye open, disappointment flooding her body when all she saw was her own arms. Her vision blurred as a strong wave of loneliness washed over her. She blinked a couple times to clear away her tears, feeling them slide down her face. She had had mornings like this in the Celestial Realm, though this was the first time she had remembered the dream that preceded it. She hadn’t really felt lonely since coming to the Devildom, and hadn’t registered it. Now though, it felt debilitating. She sent a text to Luke explaining she probably wouldn’t be down for breakfast and asking him to apologize to everyone for her. She then turned on some soft music, and dropped her DDD on the bed.

She lay quietly, the tears falling openly. This is what she had to do those terrible mornings in the Celestial Realm when she felt like she couldn’t face the day. Eventually her tears gave out, and she was left with an apathetic empty feeling. She continued laying in bed, not remembering a bout this bad in any recent history. After a while, she drifted off to sleep again.

“Hey. You awake?”

Mc groaned, sore from not moving in awhile, “Is that you Luke?”

“Yeah. I got a bit worried when you also missed lunch. You okay?”

“I think I’m okay now. I just got a bit too upset this morning.”

“Are you sure? I can tell Michael you’re caught up in an artistic frenzy or something.”

“Nah. Thanks though,” Mc smiled, still sleepy.

“Okay. As long as you're okay,” Luke was looking at her worriedly, but leaning down and kissing her forehead anyways, “I’ll make sure some lunch gets saved for you.”

“Thanks, Luke,” Mc sighed, sitting up.

“Anything for my little sister.”

Over the next week, Mc continued trying to work on her song, though she didn’t get any further, along with her other art. She also read all about the Devildom’s history and visited some historically significant locations to put a name to a place. The whole time, her mind worked on the enigma that was her dream. She supposed it was a product of her brain trying to work through the disappointment of how her first meeting with Satan went, along with how active she had been since coming down to the Devildom. She tried to convince herself of this anyway. The truth was, it felt exactly like she was reliving a memory. It felt real, and nothing about it had been weird, all details clear, nothing out of place. It even felt familiar, she’d even go so far as to say  _ worn _ , like some of her favorite memories did.

She blushed even thinking about the dream, clearly recalling the warmth and softness of his lips. The feeling of his hand on the back of her neck....

“Mc, are you almost ready,” Luke called from the other side of the door.

“Give me a couple more minutes. I’ll be down soon.”

“Okay. The guests are starting to arrive.”

“Sounds good. Thanks for letting me know,” Mc took one last look at herself in the mirror before nodding and getting up, “Let’s do this.”


	11. The Ball

“Will you just sit down Satan? You’re making me nervous,” Asmo complained, watching his brother with concern.

“Yeah. You’re totally breaking my concentration here,” Levi chimed in, not looking up from his game.

“Well, you can take your complaints to Lucifer,” Satan stated, starting what had to be his 200th pass on the same stretch of the ballroom, “I don’t know why we had to be here so early.”

“We got here ten minutes ago,” Belphie sighed, leaning on Beel, “You’re just nervous.”

“And what if I am?” Satan asked, his anxiety adding bite to the question.

“We’re all nervous,” Beel gently reminded Satan, “We’ve all missed our favorite human.”

“Not human anymore,” Mammon muttered, glaring at some undefined point in front of him, leg shaking anxiously. He had been uncharacteristically quiet ever since the night of the art show, gone most of the day, and retreating to his room when he was home.

An awkward hush fell across the group at his words, everyone’s thoughts turning inward. Satan sighed and sat down, the feathers on his boa trying their hardest to enter his mouth. The lacing on his shirt threatened to strangle him along with the collar, and his tail kept flexing around his leg. He was a bundle of nerves, and he couldn’t seem to relax. He had wanted to wear a simple suit or tuxedo, but the invitation from Diavolo had explicitly said demon forms were to be used.

A strangled but disgusted gasp escaped Asmo’s mouth, “What the hell is he doing here?!”

“Another jilted lover Asmo?” Belphie asked, rolling his eyes.

“No! It’s Michael!” Everyone’s head whipped up at that, even Levi.

“OMG! WFT?” Levi exclaimed, eyes large and worried.

“Bro, why is he here?” Mammon nearly growled, glaring at the man in question.

“I don’t know, but I want him to leave!” Asmo’s voice was getting more shrill as time went on.

“Is tha’ Lord Diavolo with ‘im?” Mammon asked, still glaring, though he wasn’t growling anymore.

“OMG, you’re right. They're laughing together too!” Levi narrated.

Beel had joined Mammon in glaring at Michael, as his twin smiled smugly, “Oh, you guys didn’t know?” Everyone looked over at that and you could tell Belphie was relishing in the shock, “Mc came with some angels. I hear Luke’s here too.”

“How can you possibly be happy about this?”

“What are you all gawking at? You all look like you’ve-” Lucifer cut off, finally seeing what his brothers were looking at. If he hadn’t already been in his demon form, Satan was fairly sure he would’ve burst into it immediately, though he didn’t look as surprised as Satan would expect him to.

“Oh.” 

The absolute contempt and disgust that dripped from that single word had all the brothers sharing looks, most very concerned. Belphie caught Satan’s eye, shooting him a sly, wicked grin. Satan wanted to share in Belphie’s enjoyment, but his mind was taking this new roadblock into account, trying to figure out how this was going to factor into his plan.

Satan didn’t really have an opinion on Michael. He had never really met the angel, his only knowledge of him coming from his shared memories with Lucifer, the little he’d heard from his brothers, and what he’d gleaned from Luke and Simeon’s conversations, not that he really cared. He simply wasn’t someone who mattered. That is, until now.

“Did you know Lucifer?” Asmo asked.

“Diavolo had told me Mc had come with two angels, though he didn’t mention names. I just assumed it was Simeon and Luke,” Lucifer was still watching Diavolo and Michael talking, though he had taken on a frigid demeanor, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. You didn’t have to be the Avatar of Wrath to sense the boiling anger underneath the frosty exterior.

Barbatos walked over to Diavolo and whispered something. The Demon Prince nodded and stood up, the congregation quieting,  **“Hello and welcome, each and every one of you! I’m so glad you could make it!”** he voice boomed out into the 

Levi scoffed, “As if we had a choice.”

“Shaddup. Ya wanted to come jus’as much as the rest of us,” Mammon hissed.

**“As most of you know, this ball is in honor of Jane Doe,”**

“Wait.. Who’s that?” Beel asked, confused.

“That’s her pseudonym,” Belphie explained softly, Beel nodding his understanding.

**“We have other guest’s as well, who came with Jane. Michael, the archangel,”** Diavolo gestured to Michael who raised his hand in greeting with a smile,  **“And Luke, Jane’s older brother. You may all remember him when he was here as one of our first exchange students,”** A blonde male who had been sitting by Michael inclined his head.

“Oh my gosh, that’s Luke?!” Asmo said loudly enough some nearby demons looked over.

“I didn’t even recognize him,” Levi murmured.

“Did he say brother?” Mammon asked.

“Shhhh!” Lucifer hissed as Diavolo continued.

**“Now for the person you’ve all been waiting for, Jane Doe,”** all the brothers held their breath as Mc walked over to Diavolo, an absolute vision. All of the brothers were transfixed, their own personal feelings overcoming everything else. Lucifer, having already seen Mc at the palace was the first to recover, looked over to Satan to see how he was doing. He was encouraged by what he saw. Satan was subconsciously touching his pocket where he knew he letter was at. Though he seemed a bit nervous, the fierce resolve in his eyes made him smile proudly, before looking back to Diavolo.

**“I hope you all treat our guests with the same respect and kindness they’ll give to you. With the introductions done, let the party commence!”**

“So, what’s the plan Satan?” Asmo asked, bringing the fourth born out of his head.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you need to talk with Mc right?” at the nod he continued, “Well, how about we help you?”

“We?” Belphie sighed, grabbing a lock of his hair.

“Yes  _ we _ ,” Asmo sighed, rolling his eyes.

Belphie sighed, but turned to look at Satan anyways, “Well, if I  _ have _ to help, what do you need?”

“I just need to give her a letter,” Satan explained, about to tell everyone they didn’t need to bother, but he didn’t get the chance.

“Don’t you want to talk to her though?” Levi asked.

“Well, I need her to read this first. I didn’t make the best impression last time, and I don’t think I’ll be much better this time around,” Satan admitted, looking chagrined. He hadn’t told any of the brothers the entirety of what happened.

“Easy enough,” Mammon announced, getting up, “We just need to walk over and give it to her then.”

“Not so fast Mammon,” Lucifer said, motioning for him to sit, “She’s probably going to be flanked by those two angels all evening. I don’t know if they’d take well to one of us handing Lillith’s descendant a letter. Luke at least, is aware of Satan’s attachment to Mc, and last time I checked, he’s not a fan of ours. As for the other…” Lucifer trailed off, irritation twisting his features, “Who knows how that may go.”

“So we need to make sure to separate them all,” Levi mused.

“Do you have any ideas on how to do that? Like, anything from one of your anime’s?” Asmo asked.

“I mean, there’s the ‘trying to get the main character and love interest alone’, but it doesn’t always work, though it’s entertaining to watch.”

“Well, we want this to go well,” Asmo sighed, rolling his eyes.

“What about you then? Where’s your grand idea?” Levi scoffed.

“Actually, I do have an idea,” Asmo giggled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

“I really should’ve just done this myself,” Satan sighed, Asmo standing next to him.

“Oh, shush! This will turn out great, just wait.”

“When’s it supposed to work then? I mean, we’ve been standing here for an hour and we haven't caught a glimpse of Mc.”

“Patience, patience. Beel and Belphie… Well, Beel already has Luke distracted with food talk, and Lucifer’s doing a good job of keeping Michael… On his toes, I guess?”

“I do have to admit watching him run away from Michael is amusing,” Satan chuckled, his eyes darting to Lucifer from their perch on the balcony above the dancefloor. He was obviously fighting his pride, knowing he was running away from Michael, but unable to stay and deal with the angel who wouldn’t stop trying to find him, partially due to his pride as well. Looking back to Michael, Satan grinned, “Gotcha!”

“Wha… Oh! There she is! Told you!” Asmo nearly shouted.

“That was my ear.”

“Oop. Sorry.”

Satan watched Mc speak with Michael, noting all the small changes in her behavior. There was a level of refinement that hadn’t been there before, which made perfect sense seeing as how she had been raised in the Celestial Realm by Simeon. She was more graceful for one thing, and seemed more calm and at ease than he remembered her. She did seem more reserved and closed off than before, though that could just because she was talking with a superior.  _ She was fairly open with me until I screwed it up, so hopefully she retained that part of herself, and hopefully I didn’t screw it up. _

Asmo sighed, “Lucifer isn’t doing his job.”

“Did you really expect him to? He did say he didn’t want to be part of whatever you were planning.”

“Well, Michael chose to follow him. He was chosen. It’s fate.”

“Still doesn’t mean he’s going to actively participate.”

“Fine. Looks like I’m going to have to have Mammon and Levi do some work for us.”

“You really don’t have to do this. I can handle it.”

“Yeah, but that’s no fun. I also want to mess with Michael as much as possible.”

“Fine. What do we do next?”

“We have to get down onto the dance floor. I’m calling Mammon right now.”

They found the staircase closest to Mc and Michael and made their way down, Asmo on his DDD the whole time, “Yes… Do you see us? Oh, there you are. Do you see them? No, left… Left! Your other left! Mammon, how are you this stupid?... I’m not the one who can’t see-... No, you listen! I can’t stand that you-... How dare you! I- Ugh, fine… Yup, just distract him…” Asmo laughed, “No, though I would pay to see that. Maybe, walk past and see if he takes the bait?... Well, you’re just going to have to deal with it Levi… Look, the sooner we get this done, the sooner you can get back to your game… Wow, I thought you wanted Mc back, but I guess not. I’ll just have to make sure she doesn’t spend anytime with you… Then get your act together! Okay, Mammon, we’re close enough now. Alright, take it away.”

Satan watched as Mammon and Levi stepped out of the crowd, Mammon talking loudly enough to turn a lot of heads. Unfortunately, Michael was not one of these, though Mc seemed interested in what was going on. She seemed to ask Michael about it, but he just brushed it off, continuing to talk.

“Why does Mammon think he’s such hot stuff?” Asmo asked, rubbing his forehead.

“Don’t frown too much. You’ll get wrinkles,” Satan gently chided.

“You’re right,” Asmo sighed, “I just don’t know how to… Whoa. Look at that.”

Satan looked to find Diavolo talking with Mc and Michael. He also spied Lucifer keeping his distance, but frowning so intensely he was surprised Diavolo couldn't feel it. Michael said something and Diavolo laughed delightedly, motioning for Mc and Michael to join him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“She’s alone now. I’ll cover you!” Asmo hissed, pushing Satan forward.

Mc was sitting on a bench, on the outskirts of the room. She was watching the crowd with interest, eyes bright and curious. Satan hesitated, before steeling himself and walking forward, letter in hand. He was almost close enough to her to call out, when some demon approached her. Satan turned on his heel, and concealed himself in the crowd. He watched the demon extend their hand, heart sinking as he realized what that meant. She smiled and nodded her head, taking their hand as she was escorted out onto the dancefloor.

“What happened? Where’d she go?” Asmo asked, joining his brother.

“Someone asked her to dance before I got there,” Satan muttered irritably.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Satan looked at the time on his DDD. There was only two hours left of the ball, and he still had the letter. The past hour had been spent trying to figure out how to get Luke to leave Mc’s side without much luck. Beel had apparently gone to raid the food table and then the palace kitchen, and Belphie had fallen asleep, so Luke had found his way back to his sister and hadn’t left her side since. Worse yet, it seemed his opinion on demons was unchanged, keeping most of those that came over to talk to the artist at bay with a single look.

“He needs to leave so we can get on with this.” Asmo huffed, upset his plan was failing.

“Well, he is a chihuahua,” Levi said distractedly, “I can’t… say for certain, but he’s probably… Trying to keep her out of trouble… Woot! Got it!”

“Levi, could you stop gaming for five seconds?” Asmo sighed.

“Well, I have bad ideas, so no. You’re lucky I decided to stick around at all,” Levi huffed, eyebrows furrowed, though from the game or Asmo, Satan didn’t know.

“Oh come on! Are you really that upset by my comment?” When Levi didn’t answer, Asmo rolled his eyes and scoffed.

“Do you have any ideas then Levi?” Satan asked

“Not really.”

“Yo, yo, yo! Luke! What’s happenin’ my man?”

Both Mc, Luke and all three brother’s looked over at Mammon strolling toward the duo through the crowd.

“Is he seriously…?” Levi asked.

“I think so…” Satan answered, shocked.

“How’ve ya’ been?” Mammon asked, grinning at the blonde angel.

“Fine I suppose,” Luke answered, suspicion lacing his words.

“Nice, nice. So, this is your  _ sister _ ?” The emphasis on the word left no interpretation of what he thought of the title.

“Yup. Of course, you can understand an angel’s definition of sibling though, don’t you Mammon?” Luke shot back.

“Oh! You’re Mammon!” Mc said suddenly, turning her full attention to Mammon “I’ve heard a lot about you!”

Mammon turned bright red, “Oh, you’ve heard of the Great Mammon?”

“Of course!” Mc beamed at him.

Mammon started stuttering, “W-W-Well, o-of course ya’ have.”

Mc giggled a bit at that, smiling at the second born, “I was actually hoping you might have some time you could spare to answer some of my questions.”

Satan was sure Mammon was going to combust, but Mc wrapped her arm around his anyways, “We’ll be back Luke.”

The blonde angel seemed like he wanted to argue, but something was holding him back, “I’ll be waiting then.” Mc nodded at him, and then walked off with Mammon.

“Wh… What just happened?” Levi nearly squealed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I hear Mammon got to talk to Mc before you did.”

“Shut up Lucifer,” Satan muttered.

“Where are they?” Lucifer asked, and Satan pointed to a bench where Mc and Mammon were sitting. They seemed deep in a conversation.

“Interesting. I had to see it to believe it.”

“What’ve you been doing this whole time?”

“I’ve been… walking around…”

“Hiding from Michael.”

“That would imply I’m scared of him.”

“MmmmHmmm.”

“I do not fear Michael.”

“Good to hear, since he’s coming this way.”

Lucifer instantly started walking forward, stopping by some random succubus, “Hello, Jezebel. Would you like to dance?” Lucifer asked, barely waiting for a response before dragging her out onto the dance floor.

Satan was still chuckling, Lucifer’s discomfort making his misfortune seem better, when a male voice he remembered from memory but had never actually heard addressed him, “Are you Satan, Lucifer’s… son?”

Satan blinked a couple times, “Excuse me?”

“That is you right? Or do you prefer something different? Spawn of Lucifer?” Michael cocked his head a bit, seeming a little confused.

Some rational part of Satan’s brain was the only thing keeping him from jumping on the angel and ripping him to shreds. He couldn’t keep the growl from his voice as he responded, “I am Satan, THE Avatar of WRATH.”

“Oh, I seem to have hit a nerve. My apologies,” Michael said, actually bowing. Satan narrowed his eyes, tail flexing around his leg.  _ Has he always been this stupid? Or is he mocking me? _

“I was wondering if we could speak. Privately,” Michael said, his smile showing he knew he’d said something wrong.

“Anything you want to say you can say here,  _ Michael. _ ”

“I do think it would be better for us to speak privately,” Satan could feel Michael’s irritation building a bit.

“Why? So you can try to hurt my brother’s again by killing another of their siblings?”

The shock on Michael’s face satiated Satan’s anger enough that he almost laughed at it. Michael quickly put on a blank look, but Satan could hear the sorrow in his voice, “Though it is always unfortunate when an angel dies, I do not regret any of my actions. When someone goes against what they know to be right, there will always be consequences.”

“Of course. Always the errand boy, blindly doing whatever it is you’re told to do.”

“How would you know? You weren’t even around to know her. I’m not sure what lies you’ve been fed-”

“I was there, you imbecile,” Satan seethed, “I saw how your actions helped push Lucifer towards rebellion, knowingly or not, and how you stabbed him in the back once he was finally there. I remember them, and I find your actions to be deplorable.”

“Now listen here, you demon-”

“Oh, I’m the demon here?! Shall I describe, in detail, how you-”

“Everythin’ cool here?” Mammon came up next to Satan, putting a calming hand on his shoulder.

Satan whipped his head to look at Mammon, confirming that, yes, Mammon had heard what Michael had said.

“Ah, Mammon. It’s been awhile.”

Mammon looked over at Michael, his disgust thinly veiled, “Yeah, sure.”

“I would like to talk with your… brother, but he doesn’t seem to want to.”

“Good fer him. Tah be honest with ya’, I don’ trust ya’ Michael. I didn’ up in the Celestial Realm, and I don’ now. If ya’ wanna’ talk with Satan, I suggest ya’ do it where we can all see ya’.”

Satan felt two hands on his shoulders and looked back to see both Beel and Belphie standing behind him. Neither one of them looked very happy, but Beel’s look was a lot more intense than Belphie’s.

Michael sighed, especially after seeing the twins, “If you’re not going to allow me to explain, I can only tell you this: It is imperative she not remember her past. It will hurt both of you more than you could ever know. Now, I have things to do, if you’ll excuse me,” and with that, he left.

“I really don’ like that guy,” Mammon shook his head, “Oh, Satan, hol’ on a sec. Imma be right back,” and with that, he took off.

“You okay Satan?” Beel asked, still frowning after Michael.

“Yeah, things just got a bit intense there for a second. Thanks.”

“I don’t think your thanks is going to stop here. We’re going to leave you now. Have fun,” Belphie smirked before wandering off with Beel.

Satan shook his head at all the weirdness happening around him, before resuming his place along the wall. He didn’t know how things had escalated that quickly with Michael, especially considering the guy had never done anything to him personally. Yeah, he had all the memories of Lucifer being angry at him, and he had hurt his brother’s, but he had never had any personal problems with him.  _ Well, a lot of Lucifer’s anger started because of Michael, and that’s what I was born from… _ The small voice in the back of his head started acting up, though he often tried to keep it quiet,  _ You’re more like Lucifer then you want to admit. _

He growled a bit at the voice, before starting to wander around. People watching always helped calm him down. It was one of the things he had done in his early life to help him learn how to interact with others, at Asmo’s suggestion. He always found something new to store away in his brain, and the problem solving helped calm his brain.

“There ya’ are! We’ve been lookin’ for ya’.”

_ We? _ Satan turned to Mammon to see Mc standing next to him. Satan froze, having not prepared himself to talk to her.

“She asked me ta dance, but cha know I’m more of a solo dancer myself, so I was wondering if you would for me?”

“I… Uhhh… Yes, if she would like,” Satan finally managed to get out, watching Mc for any negative reactions.

“I have no problems with it,” Mc answered cryptically, nothing in her tone or mannerisms betraying how she actually felt about the suggested change.

“Uh… Perfect, I guess. Have fun you two,” Mammon announced before walking off.

_ I could both hug him and punch him, _ Satan thought, though what came out of his mouth was, “Well, may I have this dance?” while extending his hand to her.

A smile graced her lips, “You certain may.”

He led her out onto the dance floor, still lightly holding her hand. He was still nervous, but not like he was the last time they’d met. He let his mask start to slip when he faced her, “I’m very glad you accepted my invitation to dance,” he slipped his hand to its proper place for the waltz as the music started.

“It’s my pleasure,” She smiled, though not as warmly as he would’ve hoped. They started dancing effortlessly, Satan extremely happy they were still in sync. If only the conversation flowed as easily. Satan spent the first full minute of the dance just trying to figure out what to say to her, also trying not to think about how beautiful she looked.

Finally, he figured out something neutral to say, “Have you been enjoying the Devildom?”

“Yes, I have, thank you for asking.”

“What’s been your favorite part?”

Mc took a minute to think, “I would have to say… Sightseeing. There’s a lot here I could have never imagined existing in the Celestial Realm.”

“Ah. Have you visited the Royal Library yet?”

“I have actually. I’ve been researching for my next art project.”

“You’re working on a new art project?”

“Yes. I feel rather inspired here.”

“I look forward to seeing it. Are you planning on showing it in the Devildom?”

“Quite possibly.”

“Good. We need new art down here,” Satan said before the conversation lapsed back into silence. It was towards the end of the song that Satan decided to bring up the elephant in the room, “I’ve ummm… Been hoping I would see you again.”

“As have I.”

“You have?” he asked, extremely surprised.

“Yes. I’ve been trying to figure out why you acted the way you did.”

_ Oh. _

“I apologize for that. I… Well, I actually wrote you a letter to explain it. I know my behavior was… off to say the least. I’ve been going through a lot lately, and I apologize that it negatively affected my behavior towards you.”

“You wrote me a letter?”

“Yes. I find I can express myself far better and with far more accuracy by writing than by talking.”

“Ah. Do… Do you have that letter with you?” Her voice was small when she asked.

“I do. I was planning to give it to you tonight anyway.”

“You were?”

“Oh, I said that out loud didn’t I?” Mc giggled at that and Satan felt better, the mask slipping even more, “I’ve been trying to find a good time to give it to you all night actually.”

“Really?” Her smile was curious and a bit teasing.

“Er, yeah. I hope you’re okay with that.”

“I think that’s alright,” Mc smiled, finally seeming at ease around him.

The song ended then, and Satan reached into his back pocket to produce the letter, “Here it is.”

“I’ll make sure to read it,” Mc promised, reaching for the letter. Their fingers brushed when she went to grab it, and they both blushed at the contact, “Well, I’m going to go find Luke. Thank you for the dance.”

“No, thank you,” Satan said sincerely, smiling softly.

She smiled back, and with that, she was gone.

“Heh. You owe me don’ cha’,” Mammon’s voice came from behind him, sounding pretty smug.

“I’d say you’ve made up for not telling me she was in town.”

“I’ll take it.”


	12. The Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry for not updating last week! As I'm sure a lot of authors are saying, the holidays are rough >.< Lucky for you guys though, I have a longer chapter now then I would've had I updated last week :)  
> When I started writing about her having a song she was composing I had a very particular one in mind. When the song starts, I included a youtube link to the song so you can listen to it if you'd like :)

Mc yawned, eyes zoning out as she stared at her scrambled phoenix eggs. She had stayed up way too late at the ball, and when she had finally been able to sleep, she had another dream about Satan, this one about helping him make dinner for all of his brothers. While it had been pleasant, she was still feeling a little melancholy from it.

Michael sighed, Luke rolling his a bit before asking, “Michael, is everything okay?”

“Well, I’m trying to figure out how I offended Satan last night.”

Mc perked up a bit at the mention of his name as Luke continued, “What’d you say?”

“Well, someone pointed him out as  _ the _ Satan, so I decided to go over and talk to him, and just wanted to confirm his identity, so I asked if he was Lucifer’s son.”

All sounds stopped at that point. Mc looked up to see everyone else in the room staring at Michael. Even Barbatos looked shocked.

“And you’re still alive?”

Mc wasn’t sure who asked the question because no one had moved when she tried to figure out the source.

“Am I wrong about it?” Michael asked, genuinely confused.

“It’s… difficult to explain,” Diavolo said, looking a bit uncomfortable.

“Why?” Mc asked.

“Well, he was born from Lucifer’s wrath. Satan, from what the others have told me, feels like he owes his existence to Lucifer, and Lucifer’s pride doesn’t allow him to say otherwise, which just irritates Satan even more. Whenever someone reminds Satan of that connection, he… Well, let’s just say that demon was in a coma for a month. So, we don’t bring it up here. I’m amazed we didn’t have a fight break out last night honestly.”

Michael’s eyes widened in understanding as Diavolo continued, “Seems I was very fortunate last night,” then, after a moment, “Should I apologize to him?”

“I would probably suggest against it, unless you have a good opportunity to. It could come across as even more demeaning.”

“Seems I have a lot to learn about how to properly interact with demons,” Michael chuckled uncomfortably.

“Did you ever end up being about to speak with Lucifer?” Diavolo asked.

“No. He ended up evading me the whole night,” Michael sighed.

“Well, maybe I’ll have to invite the brothers over for dinner sometime,” Diavolo mused, then after thinking for a bit and pulling out his DDD, “Yes, I think I’ll do that. Though… Mc, would you be willing to play something for us? I know you’ve been working on that piano piece.”

“I will definitely for you all. It probably won’t be that piece since it’s not finished yet.”

“Whatever you can do should be fine. Sometimes I just need to give them a good incentive to come,” Diavolo smiled, typing away on his DDD.

A bit further into dinner, Diavolo smiled, “I have a date set for dinner! We shall have it in three days!”

“Isn’t that a little soon?” Michael asked.

“Of course not! All that needs to be done on my side is make sure there’s enough food for everyone plus Beelzebub.”

“Ah, he still eats a lot does he?” Michael asked.

“Well, as the Avatar of Gluttony, I’d say he eats more than “a lot”,” Diavolo laughed.

“... How much does he eat now?” Michael asked, looking concerned.

“Well, let’s just say Lucifer and I have had serious discussions before about if the Devildom can sustain his level of hunger.”

“He always had an appetite in the Celestial Realm, but…” Michael sat back looking concerned.

“Don’t worry. Lucifer and I have a couple different plans on how to keep him and the rest of the Devildom fed,” Diavolo smiled.

“What about the others? How have they changed?”

“Well, you’re just going to have to find out in three days.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mc stared at the envelope on her desk. She was going to save the letter for later, not quite ready to read the contents yet. Her thoughts drifted back to part of her conversation with Mammon.

_ “I got ta go ta ya art show with Satan. I was really impressed with ya art. Satan was explainin’ a lot of it ta me since it was my first show.” _

_ “He was?” Mc asked, the disappointment from their first meeting still fresh. _

_ “Yeah. I know he’s really impressed by ya art, and all.” _

_ “Ah. Good to know,” Mc said, tone noncommittal. _

_ “Yeah. He’s actually a pretty good guy. Well, for a demon anyway. He just struggles a bit expression’ himself sometimes.” _

_ “He does?” _

_ “Yeah. I know he’s been havin’ a rough time lately with… everythin’ goin’ on.” _

_ “Is that right?” Mc could feel some of the worry she’d been holding to dissipate with his words. _

_ “MmmHmm,” Mammon smiled at her, but he blanched seeing something happening behind her, “Uhh, I’ll be back, ‘k? I gotta take care of somethin,” and with that he disappeared into the crowd for a bit. _

Mc picked up the letter, and opened it:

Dear Jane,

I am so glad you decided to read my letter. I would like to apologize for my behavior the other day. Though there’s really no excuse for my rude behavior, I’ve been dealing with some personal issues lately, and I ended up making those your problem.

I wanted to tell you that I do remember you from before. I remember you called the fleeing demons a stampede. I remember you had a large leaf stuck in your hair. You also mentioned feeling very lonely sometimes. I don’t remember what I put in that letter, I wanted to let you know your thirst for knowledge really impressed me and reminded me of myself. If I was able to help you on your quest for knowledge I will consider it a job well done. If it is not too much of an imposition on your time, I would love another chance to talk at length with you about art, literature, or anything really. Maybe over coffee sometime?

I will be looking forward to your answer,

Satan

Mc sat back, feeling most of her tension leave her body. He didn’t hate her and actually wanted to talk with her again. She smiled and reached for a piece of paper to pen her response.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mc poured over the Devildom encyclopedia she had found. It had started as a way to figure out what kind of flower she had seen outside in the castle garden and had just turned into learning all about the Devildom in general.

“What are you doing Sis?”

“Hmmm… Oh, hey Luke. Did you know the climate here is much like a high altitude desert in the human realm? Super cold in the winter, but really hot in the summer?”

“I guess that makes sense.”

“Also, most of the plants here grow from moonlight. Many of the weeds in the Devildom are those that metabolize the moonlight the fastest and most of them are actually edible.”

“You found an encyclopedia, didn’t you?” Luke asked.

“Yup. There’s also a lot of reference books here, so every time I find something I want to know more about, I just write it in my notebook.”

“How many pages so far?”

“Well, this notebook is new and it’s already halfway full…”

“How are you going to look up all of those?”

“I’ll figure it out. I’ve heard the InterWeb is useful, though I’m not great at using it yet. Oh, there’s also this little-”

“Okay, I think that’s enough research for one day,” Luke said, taking the encyclopedia.

“Hey!”

“You need to go outside or something.”

Mc huffed a bit, “I was outside already today. That’s what caused me to come back in. I had a question about a flower I saw.”

“Well, go eat something. You haven’t eaten since breakfast have you?”

Mc was about to argue when she realized she was actually very hungry, “That might be a good idea.”

“Come on silly. Let’s get you some food.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mc sighed, starting the song over. She hadn’t been able to get any further in her composition, not getting any inspiration. Despite telling Diavolo she wouldn’t be able to perform it, she had still tried to finish the piece. It really was lovely. She just wasn’t sure how to finish it.

“That was beautiful,” a deep voice called from behind her.

She turned around, “shocked, “Satan?!”

“Sorry to intrude. I just heard your playing and had to find out who was making such gorgeous music,” Satan was leaning against the doorway, a soft smile on his face, “Is that one of your compositions?”

“Oh,” Mc looked down, a little embarrassed, “Yes, but it isn’t finished yet.”

“It’s still beautiful,” Satan said softly, hoping she would allow him to stay.

“Thank you,” Mc answered softly, matching his smile.

Satan cleared this throat and looked down, blushing, “So, how long have you been working on this piece?”

“Honestly, a while now,” Mc sighed slightly, “It’s something I composed in the Celestial Realm, though it never sounded right. It’s only on the piano’s here in the Devildom that it’s sounded… right,” Mc looked up at Satan at that, and he nodded, his hand resting on his chin thoughtfully, “Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get further in the piece.”

Satan cleared his throat, “Well, if you play it again, I may be able to help. I have done some composing before, though not as much as you… Anyways, only if you want to. I would hate to impose…” he was blushing furiously now, wondering why he’d even offered.

“That would actually be lovely,” Mc admitted, her heart fluttering a bit at the prospect, “A fresh perspective might be just what I need.”

“I’d be happy to assist then,” Satan said, walking over to stand behind her.

Mc looked up and smiled at him, “Thank you.”

Satan’s heart stopped for a moment, fragments of memories flying through his mind of Mc looking up and smiling at him. He swallowed thickly and gestured for her to play, not trusting his voice.

Mc was a bit confused, watching the sadness well up in his eyes. Despite the sudden emotion, she turned and started playing when he gestured. ([This song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4mFJ8xyJ94))

Satan was transfixed by the music from the first note, wondering if this was the loneliness Mc had mentioned to him so long ago, put into the notes ringing through the air. If that was the case, he had to wonder why the Celestial Realm had kept her from him. He would have cured her loneliness, no matter what it took. If she had needed companionship, he would have provided it. If she needed kind words, he would have provided them. Absolutely anything she would have needed would have been provided. She would never have had to know such pain.

At that moment, he wondered what would have happened if Mc had come to the Devildom instead of the Celestial Realm. He knew she would have been grabbed from the upcoming souls, if not by him, then one of his brothers, Diavolo or Barbatos, her ties to the realm more to do with love and friendship, not sin and corruption. Assuming she had still wanted him, he would have followed her wherever she would have wanted to go and helped her accomplish anything she would have wanted to do. If she had wanted to move out of the House of Lamentation, he would have made it happen, and if she never wanted to leave, he would gladly put up with whatever antics his brothers felt they needed to inflict upon him. He would even have put up with their constant flirting if it made her happy. If she had wanted to become a demon, he would have helped her, making sure any adjustment she would have gone through was as quick and painless as possible. 

He imagined they would have been happy together, seeing as how his wrath was more contained and muted with her around. She had shown him what love was, helping him realize not only that he loved her but that he did love his brothers and they him, though they all showed it in very weird ways. She had helped him cut through all his self-doubt, making him feel less like a monster on a self-inflicted leash, a shadow of the power and man that had created him, and more like an individual with his own thoughts and feelings, valid and special in his own right. No one had ever been able to do that for him, and he doubted anyone ever would again.

When the music changed, calm and desolate, he knew this was her loneliness without a doubt. Some part of his brain also recognized she was nearing where she hadn’t composed yet. Without thinking, he sat on her right, watching her practiced hands play. He felt the inspiration for the rest of the song start to well up inside him. He also felt his anger at the situation they now found themselves in burning behind it all as well. They had been happy together before her mortality had ripped them apart. The angels knew this, and yet they had kept her from him, even though she had obviously been suffering. She hid and dealt with it well, her art a testament to that, but she had suffered needlessly. He wanted to let Mc know she was not alone and he would help her. Even if she never fell in love with him again, this was her plea for help and he would not allow it to go unanswered.

The first couple of lines he played were just repeats of hers, an attempt at solidarity.

Mc was surprised by his actions, though they spurred her on, the song actually continuing past the point she had composed. She had never actively composed with someone else, and she found the action calming in a way. It was as if he could read her mind on what needed to happen in the song.

Satan suddenly started playing furiously, a bit of a call back to earlier in the song, though with more gusto. Mc couldn’t help but watch as he glared a bit at the keys as if they would provide the answers to the rest of the song. She felt inspired, playing the bottom hand as he played the top. She felt more connected to him than she ever had with anyone, the composition coming together better than she would have thought possible. Their hands even touched a couple of times, as they fought for use of the keys they knew would help express the magic that was happening.

Mc started a chromatic scale, lost in the moment, adding flair as she went up. She didn’t realize what she was doing until she was at the top of the keyboard, trilling between two notes. She was leaning a bit into Satan, their legs and shoulders touching as she had scooted over on the bench to reach the notes. He was watching her, their faces extremely close. He was smiling softly again.

She pulled back into her own space, a blush dusting her cheeks though she felt happy, “Pardon my enthusiasm.”

Her blush and smile made him feel like he had accomplished something, “I like your enthusiasm,” he said, his voice only coming out in a whisper.

She smiled at him, “Well, I’m glad,” then, “Oh, I almost forgot. This is for you,” she pulled a letter from the air, Satan’s eyebrows raising in interest, “It’s a reply to the one you gave me.”

He took the letter and tucked it into his jacket pocket, “Thank you. That was an interesting trick you just did.”

“Oh, I’ve known it for ages now. I left a particularly embarrassing poem out once, and another angel read it out loud in front of a lot of other angels. It’s safe to say I keep all important things hidden now.”

“Glad to know you think this is important,” Satan half teased, making Mc flush slightly.

“I didn’t realize you were such an accomplished piano player,” Mc said, trying to move the conversation in a direction that wouldn’t make her heart race.

“Oh, well, music has been fundamental in helping to develop and understand new emotions,” Satan admitted, knowing Mc was the only person he’d ever openly admit this to.

“New… emotions?” Mc, remembering the conversation between Michael and Diavolo, she tried to keep the intense curiosity from her voice in an effort not to upset Satan or scare him away from the topic.

“Yes. I… How much do you know about my birth?”

“I… I’ve learned more about it since coming here, but I still don’t know a lot,” Mc admitted, trying to keep her voice as nice but neutral as possible.

“Well, I was born from Lucifer’s wrath. In the beginning, all I could feel was anger, though it wasn’t really directed at anyone. I knew why Lucifer was angry but most of that didn’t seem to matter much. Those acts had not been directed at me; why should I care? I was just angry because that’s all I was. The first time I think I remember feeling anything besides rage was at Lilith’s memorial.

_ Huh? Who’s Lilith? _

“I remember Lucifer sitting at the piano, pouring his grief into the song he was playing. Though I remember music from Lucifer’s memories, it was my first time experiencing it as an individual. The song had been Lilith’s favorite, though the piano’s of the Devildom and the slow tempo Lucifer played it had made what was usually a very happy song into a funeral march. In that moment, watching all my brothers with tears in their eyes, many openly weeping when the song started, I felt a twinge in my heart, and I teared up. I remember wiping them, staring at the liquid on my finger,” he looked down at his hands at that, completely caught up in the memory.

“I thought about that moment a lot. I rolled it around over and over in my head trying to figure out what it was I had experienced. It was at this time that I asked Lucifer to teach me how to play the piano. I thought the key was in the music itself, and I practiced a lot. Lucifer is not a forgiving teacher, so I was constantly striving for perfection, but from my own expectations of myself and his. Still, even as I became a better piano player, I still couldn’t get the emotion I wanted from the instrument, though I didn’t know that’s what I was looking for. It was the most wooden playing you could imagine.

“One day, I was very angry at my inability to play the way I wanted to. I was throwing things around in my room because Lucifer made it very clear I was never to destroy the piano just because I was upset when Beel decided to look in on me. Most of my brothers, Asmo aside, give me a very wide berth when I’m upset, though I think they do it now more out of respect for my privacy than fear. Anyways, Beel came in and asked me what was wrong. I ended up screaming about how frustrated I was at not being able to play as Lucifer did at Lilith’s memorial. He was a bit confused as to why, and I explained to him that I needed to explore the strange sensation that had made me cry. After a bit more explanation, he smiled sadly and explained that what I had felt was probably either sadness or grief. He then went on to explain the emotion in the bluntest, truthful way I’ve ever heard out of anyone, and I’ve read a lot. It wasn’t flowery or dramatic. It was someone honestly and truthfully expressing how they felt. It was a lot like when someone puts so much emotion into their music and you can’t help but understand them. His words did the same thing for me that Lucifer’s playing had done, and that twinge came back. Experiencing it in the moment allowed me to be able to ask his confirmation on what I was feeling.

“Looking back on the whole encounter, I’m ashamed of how I acted, but I’m glad Beel came in and helped me when he did. It helped me understand myself a bit more, and recognize I can feel things that aren’t anger. Without his help, who knows how long I would’ve been floundering around in the dark. Ah, but you didn’t ask for my personal history. You were just asking about my piano playing,” Satan rubbed the back of his head, looking sheepish, “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

“Oh, no, it’s quite alright!” Mc answered, louder and more forcefully than she intended. He looked at her in shock, and it was her turn to act sheepishly, “I just… I’m glad you told me. I feel like I understand you a lot better now.”

“I’m glad,” Satan said, smiling.

“You’re at the piano huh? We were wondering where you’d gone off to,” a voice interrupted, making them both look over, “Lucifer wants you to come back because dinner’s almost done. I’m guessing you should probably head back with us,” the strawberry blonde smiled at Mc.

“Oh, you’re Asmodeus right?” Mc asked, proud of herself for recognizing him.

“Oh, you know who I am darling? Oh, who am I kidding? How could you have not heard about me by now?”

“Right…” Mc laughed a bit uncomfortably, “I also remember you from when you dropped off Satan’s letter to me as a child.”

Asmo’s eyes widened a bit, “Oh, I thought it might be you. I wasn’t sure though.”

“You weren’t sure? You had an idea though,” Satan’s voice was flat as was his expression.

“Oh, Satan, calm down. I didn’t want to say anything in case I was wrong. You can understand why right?”

Satan sighed, “I suppose so. I guess it doesn’t really affect anything in the long run.”

“Glad you understand. Now, we really should get back. Are you coming with?” Asmo directed the last part at Mc.

“Sure. I should be joining Luke and Michael anyway,” Mc said, sliding off the left side of the bench, walking towards Asmo. Satan pushed the bench back when she was clear of it and walked over to Asmo too.

Asmo grinned mischievously, “You know, you two make a cute couple!”

Mc flushed at the comment and looked down.

“Oh, no need to be so bashful Satan. I’m only stating the obvious. If you have a problem with it though, I’d be more than happy to steal her away.”

_ Steal me away? What’s all that about? _


	13. Dinner and a Show

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We finally get to dinner!

“Ah, there you are Satan,” Lucifer said when he walked into the room.

“Found him  _ flirting _ ,” Asmo giggled, walking in behind him, “I’m sure you can guess with who.”

“Ugh. Normies,” Levi huffed from behind his gaming console.

“You work fast,” Belphie smirked, a glint of mischief in his purple eyes.

“I… Just heard music, and followed it,” Satan sighed.

“Oh yes, because so many people in this castle play music,” Asmo teased, “You knew exactly what you were doing.”

“I… Let’s just go eat.”

“Hehe, you basically just admitted you were looking for her!” Asmo practically sang.

“Asmodeus. Now is not the time or place for this. We are in mixed company and we are late for dinner. Please refrain from other comments,” Lucifer scolded.

“Psh. You’re no fun tonight,” Asmo pouted, though he went quiet after that.

Satan watched Lucifer as they made their way to the dining hall. He knew Lucifer wasn’t looking forward to being forced to spend time with Michael, but there seemed to be another level to his annoyance.  _ Actually, thinking about it, this new attitude started after the ball. What’s got him so upset? _

His thoughts were cut short by Barbatos’ sudden appearance, “If you’ll follow me this way.”

“Ah, Barbatos. I do apologize. We had a… disappearance,” Lucifer shot Satan a glare, to which Satan responded with an eye roll.

“It is quite alright. M… Jane explained everything to us. Lord Diavolo is very excited to hear he helped her finish her composition, and is looking forward to them performing it for us tonight,” he said this with a look at Satan that left no room for argument.

“As long as… Jane is alright with it.”

Barbatos smiled and nodded his head, “Glad to hear,” then to Lucifer, “His Lord is very happy you are all here. We have quite a feast prepared tonight, including…” Barbatos turned and started walking, the brothers all following. Satan stopped listening, instead, focusing on the square envelope in his jacket pocket. He knew he’d have to wait until he was in the seclusion of his bedroom, but he really wanted to hear what she had to say. She had been friendly toward him earlier, so he desperately hoped her letter would be something positive. Even the small amounts of time he’d been able to spend with her had been the best he had had since she had left. He could feel himself loosening up, her presence a balm to his pain and anger. Though she was now an angel, one that didn’t remember their relationship, one that had grown up in the Celestial Realm, at her core she still had the same soul. The one he and all his brothers had fallen for. The one that had picked him last time. If there was any chance for him to win her back, he would use it and regain what he lost.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Oh, that reminds me of the time he started drunk texting everyone! It was during the first exchange program and he decided we needed to have a drinking contest. Remember that Lucifer? He ended up texting everyone close to him to tell them he loved them! I remember Simeon approaching me, wanting to make sure he was okay. The look on his face when I told him it was because Lucifer got drunk!” Diavolo and Michael started laughing, though they were the only ones.

The dinner had started off fine. Michael had seemed nervous, not saying anything for a good ten minutes besides greetings to the brothers. The brothers themselves were polite, though not friendly. They all worked towards letting Michael know that, talking to everyone but him. And why shouldn’t they? Their human was back, though not a human anymore. Even Levi had started talking to her when Diavolo had started his stories.

“Michael, did I ever tell you about the first time Lucifer came down to the Devildom?” Diavolo’s voice was loud and left everyone silent.

Levi, who was about to respond to something Mc had asked, sighed and leaned back in his chair pouting.

“I don’t believe you have.”

“Well, let me tell you about it. When I first saw Lucifer….” And Diavolo continued. Lucifer was trying very hard to act like he couldn’t hear Diavolo. The way he gripped his fork and his very stiff behavior gave him away. Someone would have to be deaf not to hear Diavolo, which was the point, “And then he left. Though I had said I wasn’t looking for friendship, I couldn’t help but be drawn to him. After he asked if we could speak again… Let’s just say, I was overjoyed. I never expected things to turn out the way they did from that first meeting, but I’m glad they did.”

“I remember him coming back up to the Celestial Realm. I was in the room while he gave our Father his report. He did mention the bad soil, and that he thought your very good manners and hospitality were all an act. He did mention how he did think we should consider your olive branch if you will. I will admit, I thought the whole idea preposterous the first time I heard it, but seeing as how I’m here now, it seems it’s not as crazy as it sounds.”

“I appreciate that Michael,” Diavolo smiled. To anyone looking closely, there was almost a ghost of a smile on Lucifer’s face. Then Diavolo gasped, his eyes shining, “Oh, I totally forgot about the time Lucifer got a cake to the face!” Lucifer abruptly stiffened again, more rigid than he had been before, the red of his eyes seeming to alight.

The conversation devolved from there, the two sharing stories back and forth. Lucifer had broken his fork by holding it too tightly, though he didn’t seem to have registered what he’d done. The glow of his power and displeasure were starting to swirl around his being. Barbatos had left the room to get him another one and was yet to return. Everyone else in the room was slowly inching away from the Avatar of Pride.

“That reminds me of when he-”

“Lucifer!”

All eyes turned toward Mc who had been sitting next to him the whole time but who now seemed intent on speaking to him. Michael, who had been cut off, looked at her in confusion. As Lucifer’s eyes landed on her she visibly shivered, but continued, “I hear you play piano, and are very accomplished at that.”

“Yes, I do.” The answer was curt and so cold it was almost frozen.

“Oh Mc, you should hear him play! He started playing in the Celestial Realm, and I’ve never heard anyone before or since that-”

“That’s great Michael,” Mc answered, cutting him off for a second time, “When I play for you all tonight, would you be willing to make any notes on what I can improve on? It’s been so long since I’ve met someone who could actually give me an honest opinion and real constructive criticism, I would definitely regret it if I didn’t ask you,” she then looked at him with such veneration, Satan instantly felt jealous. Did he not tell her he had worked really hard to get as good at Lucifer? If she wanted pointers, she should just ask him.

Lucifer blinked a couple of times before answering, most of the anger gone from his voice, “If you would like.”

“Really? Oh, I would appreciate that so much! Oh, I can barely wait now!”

_ Could she be… _

“I’ve eaten my fill if you would like some direction now…”

“I’ve eaten enough as well. Would that be alright, Lord Diavolo?”

“That should be fine. In fact, if no one has any objections, how about we all adjourn to the music room. I am very curious to hear the song you’ve been working on.”

Beel looked down at his plate with disappointment, though he quickly shoved the food in his mouth, but no one else had any objections, so they all started to make their way to the music room. Lucifer had latched onto Mc’s arm, talking quietly with her. Satan glared at his back, though he was glad Mc had saved him from Michael and Diavolo so tactfully. She had been able to save his pride and even stoak it a little, ensuring the situation diffused.

“She’s really good at this,” Asmo whispered in Satan’s ear.

“Of course she is,” Satan answered more curtly than he meant to.

“Awww, is someone jealous?” Asmo teased.

“How could I not be?”

“I guess. He’s not the one she’s going to be performing with though,” Asmo answered, before rushing forward to talk to Luke.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Satan sat next to Mc at the piano bench, needing to wait until his part. Though he tried not to, his eyes kept wandering to her face, so expressive as she played. He almost missed his entrance, though the pause was a bit more dramatic that way. They performed as well as they had earlier, possibly better since they’d already played it once before, though it didn’t feel as intimate as it had before. He could only assume it was because they now had a crowd. Well, that and the fact Lucifer was hovering now. When they finished, everyone clapped, Mammon actually whistling.

“I can tell the ending was composed earlier today,” Lucifer began before the clapping had subsided, “It was much less polished than the rest of the piece. I also noticed Satan almost missed his cue...-”

“Would it be better if I were to play some of my other pieces?” Mc cut in. Lucifer had been looking at Satan, about to say something more, “I know it’s good to have feedback when you haven’t nearly perfected a piece, but since I’m looking for the feedback… Oh, I do need a ” She gestured a bit helplessly.

“Very well. Let’s do that then.”

Satan exited the bench, Mc moving to the middle again. Lucifer remained where was at which annoyed Satan. He wasn’t sure if she had intervened in Lucifer’s little rant on purpose, but he was grateful for it. He wasn’t really used to being the brother that was chewed out in public, and he knew he was rusty, but he hadn’t come to the dinner tonight expecting to play for everyone. Not that he couldn’t have handled it had it happened.

The familiar sounds of Bach’s Prelude No. 1 in C Major began, though a bit slower than Satan was used to. He wasn’t surprised Mc knew the song. It was the type of music that would be played in the Celestial Realm. It was a beautiful song, though he would’ve preferred one of her own compositions. He was also a bit confused as to why she was playing it slower than one usually would.

When she was done, Lucifer said the one thing he’d been thinking, “That wasn’t the right tempo.”

“I apologize about that,” Mc blushed, “I’m still getting used to this instrument.”  _ She was getting used to… _

Lucifer had the decency to look chagrined, “I apologize I should’ve realized.”

“Oh, it’s alright. I did ask for pointers. I’ve been practicing for a bit now, so I hope it sounds alright.”

“I did notice…” Lucifer launched into a whole rant, Mc paying attention the whole time, even asking for pointers when she didn’t fully understand what he meant. Having made himself feel better by having his ego stroked a bit and by bossing someone around, Lucifer sat down simply listening to her play.

There were some more classics by human composers and some of her own creations. Each one was absolutely beautiful and Satan found himself more and more impressed by just how accomplished she was. She had said he had influenced her a great deal when she was young, but what he saw was not just a child being impressionable. It was the zeal of someone who clearly enjoyed learning and wanted to better themselves. All too soon she asked for a reprieve, having played for a half-hour at least.

“Satan, why don’cha play us somethin’?” Mammon asked, turning towards him.

“Huh?”

“Yeah. It’s been a while since you’ve sat down and played something,” Asmo added, winking at him.

“I don’t even know what I’d play.”

“What about ‘Read My Heart’? I like that one,” Beel suggested, smiling over at him.

“That song’s for…” Satan trailed off.

“Exactly. Now, get your butt up there and play it,” Belphie sighed.

Satan approached the instrument slowly. The whole thing had started as a dare. Before Mc had officially chosen him, there had been a lot of back and forth between the brothers over who Mc’s favorite was. An idea that had been put forward was for each of them to write Mc a song. Satan knew his brothers were throwing their all into the song to make it as amazing as they could, Asmo actually bringing in a team to help him with his song, so he had thrown his all in as well, though he went with one instrument that he played himself to make sure it was as authentic as possible, putting every feeling he had for her into the song. His worry about her mortality, which had been well-founded. All the new feelings of love. Contentment. Acceptance. Belonging. Everything. He had been extremely satisfied with the results, though, just like most of their earlier “contests” it didn’t really decide anything.

He had never expected to play this song ever again. Mc had died. What was the point of ever playing it again? He’d written it for her anyway. But… she was back, and she was sitting right there. She had also never heard the song he’d written for her. She’d cried last time she heard it. Would she feel the same way this time?

His hands played the familiar keys, the notes ringing out just the way he remembered. He was afraid he wouldn’t be able to get the first line out, he became so overwhelmed with emotion. He did though, his voice strong. He hoped the lyrics would reach her. Would help her come back to him.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm sorry it's been a second (not me knowing it's been like two weeks since I updated but not having enough energy to just come and copy and paste what I need to >.<). I know I told my followers on Tumblr, but I need to tell you guys as well. January tends to be a terrible month for me. I've already had a lot of things happen in my personal life that I was not expecting and my work will not let up. So, updates will probably be sporadic at least for the rest of the month. They also may look a bit different than Tumblr (I know this one will at least). I also got a Chromebook, and I'm still trying to work out the kinks with that. If the formating of this chapter looks wonky, please let me know in the comments down below and I'll try to get it fixed. Thank you for your patience!

Mc didn’t know what she was expecting from the song Satan’s brothers pressured him to play, but a gorgeous melancholic love song was not it, though she should have guessed it was a love song from the title. She was entranced from the first couple notes, and the lyrics pulled her in further. They spoke of someone experiencing love for the first time, though they were afraid of their Love fading away and leaving them. She smiled at the cat lyrics, finding herself not surprised Satan would write about them. He seemed like a cat lover, though she had no real basis for the belief. 

Satan’s singing voice was just as nice as his speaking voice and she found herself impressed. It also held a lot of emotion, enough that she was surprised it didn’t affect his singing. Though she had never heard the song before, it seemed extremely familiar. Though, it was a fairly universal concept, so it probably just seemed she’d heard it before. She hadn’t realized she was crying until Mammon offered her a handkerchief. When he finished, everyone clapped, and he started on another song. 

“I never thought I’d hear tha’ song again,” Mammon spoke to Mc in a low voice. 

“Why?” she asked. 

“Oh… Uhhh… Well, it’s about a lost love of his. Once she… disappeared… He played it one more time and then said he’d never play it again.” 

Mc felt her throat constrict a bit at the revelation, “He must be doing better then. When he got his next… lover, he probably started feeling better.” 

“He… Uhhh... '' Mammon floundered for words, and Mc found herself eagerly awaiting his next words, “I don’ think he’s dated anyone before or since her. If nothin’ else, she is his firs’ and only love.” 

“Did she hurt him?” 

“Huh?” 

“I just ask because I’ve seen a lot of people, well, humans, who had relationships go sour and closed themselves off emotionally. I was just wondering if that’s what happened to him.” 

“Not… Not exactly… She was human and she… died…” Mammon seemed really anxious at this point, and Mc decided not to push the subject further. 

_A human? Really? Well, that adds another layer to the song. It was the most permanent level of “leave” there is. He knew going into the relationship it would end. But… If she had been corrupted enough by him, wouldn’t she have gone to the Devildom? Then they could’ve been together… Does that mean she went to the Celestial Realm? Do I know her? Or… Did she get stuck as a wanderer? Either way, why would he play it now? Mammon said he’d sworn off playing it ever again…_ The questions swirled around in her head as she watched Satan play. 

“Ooooo! Ooooo! My turn!” 

“Asmo, you can’t play piano,” Satan sighed, already getting up. 

“But I can play music off of my DDD now can’t I?” Asmodeus said, waltzing up to what had become a stage. 

As Asmo scrolled through what Mc could only assume was his list of songs, Satan came and stood next to her. Mammon even moved over so he could. Mc gave him a small smile and then turned her attention back to Asmodeus, who was gushing about the song he’d found to sing. She was still thinking about all the unanswered questions she had when she felt a breath next to her ear “What did you think?” 

Mc almost jumped, but instead found herself glued to her chair, “Of the song? Or your singing?” 

“Hmmm… Both.” 

“You play and sing wonderfully. The song was beautiful. I could really feel your emotions.” 

“Thank you,” Mc felt Satan retreat back to a standing position, and she found she missed his presence. 

A huff from the other side of the room caught her attention. Looking over, she caught the tailend of Michael watching Satan with narrowed eyes before turning back to Asmodeus. _How strange._

When Asmodeus finished, Lucifer was both begged and forced to play by those in the room. While Mc had to admit he was definitely in a league all his own, she found herself preferring Satan’s playing to Lucifer’s. She cocked her head slightly at the realization. 

“Excellent Lucifer! Just exquisite!” Diavolo boomed, giving the Avatar of Pride a standing ovation, “I can’t remember the last time I heard you play!” 

“Well, it has been awhile,” Lucifer smiled. His pride seemed to have recovered enough he could properly interact with people again. Mc was happy she was able to avert a crisis, not interested in finding out how a brawl between Michael and Lucifer would go. Though… Would either of them actually get into a physical altercation?... 

Mc was so caught up in her thoughts, she didn’t realize the brothers were leaving until they were all asking if she would come to the House of Lamentation at some point. 

“... And I would love to paint your nails,” Asmo prattled on, grabbing her hands, “And I know the Devildom’s lack of light can make your skin lose some of its radiance, but I have a moisturizer that can help with that. Oh and-” 

“Asmo, come on! Ya want Mc to come visit or not?” Mammon interrupted, 

“Mammon, you don’t understand the nuances of keeping yourself looking perfect.” 

“Uh, yes. I do. I’m a model. Ya been smellin’ too many of ya fancy products and it’s melted ya brain?” 

“I think you’re thinking of yourself, though it was probably when you were trying to con those witches into buying acid, and you drank some.” 

“Oi! How do ya know about that?” 

“Ugh, there they go again,” a head rested itself on Mc’s shoulder, and she almost jumped until she saw who it was, “Seriously though Mc. You should come over.” 

“Yeah. You’re even welcome to bring Luke,” the one brother who she hadn’t talked to added, “Barbatos told me he’s gotten even better at baking.” 

“Of course I’ve gotten better at baking! I’m also very good at cooking too,” Luke said, having joined the conversation. 

Mc watched at Beelzebub, which is who she figured he must be through the process of elimination, actually started drooling, “Does that mean you’re actually going to come over then?” 

Luke smiled fondly, a look Mc wasn’t sure she’d have ever thought he could have for a demon, “If you’d like Beel, I could probably make that happen.” 

Beel rushed over to Luke and pulled him into a huge hug. Belphegor removed himself from Mc, walking over to Beelzebub, “Beel, you need to let go of the chihuahua or he’s going to suffocate. Luke can’t make you food if he’s been squished.” 

“I’m sorry. I hope these idiots haven’t been bothering you too much.” 

“Not at all Lucifer. They were just inviting me over sometime.” 

“Well, I suppose it’s time for us to head out,” Lucifer said, starting to gather his brothers. 

“You are welcome anytime you want to come over,” Satan’s voice came from behind her. 

“I… Thanks. I would really like that.” 

“Satan! We’re leaving.” 

“I’m coming Lucifer,” Satan called, rolling his eyes, then back to Mc with a smile, “Bye.” 

“Bye,” Mc called after him. 

Mc sat in her room hours later, the events of the evening still running through her head. Though she knew Michael wouldn’t approve, she found herself much more at ease and even happier around them than she did around most angels. There was a non-judgemental kindness they all exuded (well, all except Lucifer) that made her feel like she belonged. She found herself excited about the prospect of spending more time with them at the House of Lamentation. She had to laugh a bit, the fact she didn’t fit in with the rest of the angels never more clear than it was now. 

Simeon had told her his time in the Devildom had been extremely enjoyable, the less structured lifestyles if the Devildom a welcome change from the Celestial Realm. She had read his work from that time and it was obvious he had felt a lot more creative in the Devildom, even though he had school responsibilities at the time. While she hadn’t doubted his words, she had always figured the change was mostly due to the fact he had been able to communicate with his lost brothers again. Now she understood what he had been talking about. 

_Simeon generally gets along with the other angels too. What would they all say if they found out I prefer the company of the Fallen to them? Everything is just more natural with them. It’s almost like I already know who they are, as strange as that sounds. Especially Satan, though I’ve felt connected to him since I got his letter. Speaking of which, who was it that he mentioned? Lil… Lilly? Lillah? Lillian? Hmmm… I can’t remember. I do know I’ve never heard that name before. Whoever it was seemed to have a great impact on all of the brothers. It can’t be someone they Fell with. I’ve read all the literature about the Fall and I don’t recognise the name. Though there’s a lot about the Fall the Celestial Realm doesn’t talk about. But... Simeon’s also never mentioned anyone with that name before… Maybe it’s time for me to do some more research._

Mc stretched, and checked the time on her DDD. She had been in Diavolo’s personal library for over three hours, and she still hadn’t found any mention of the mysterious “L” person. She found plenty of references to Lucifer though. It seemed he and his brothers had been instrumental in helping Diavolo establish order when the old King had started his slumber. What caused this slumber, why it happened, or if it would end was not covered. Mc wanted to research the topic further, but she couldn’t get distracted until she had answered her initial question. 

There was a knock at the door, and Barbatos came in carrying a teacup on a saucer, “I thought you might be in here.” 

“Oh, hello Barbatos.” 

The butler entered the room, and set the tea down on the table Mc was studying at, “I thought you might like some tea.” 

“I would actually, thank you. If you would like to, you can take a seat.” 

“I suppose that’d be alright,” Barbatos smiled, and sat down in a chair. His eyes glided across the books strewn around Mc, “You’ve got some heavy reading here.” 

“Well, I’m trying to figure something out,” Mc sighed, sipping her tea. 

“Perhaps I can be of assistance?” 

“Maybe, though I don’t remember what it is I’m looking for exactly,” Barbatos simply cocked his head slightly until she continued, “Satan was telling about… Well, a personal experience, and he mentioned someone. I don’t remember their name, but it was someone very close to all the brothers and they had passed away. I was just trying to figure out who it was.” 

“You seem very interested in this person,” Barbatos’ tone wasn’t accusatory, but he seemed to expect and answer. 

“... I guess I’m just trying to understand them better. Him better,” The last part slipped from Mc’s mouth easily, surprising even her. 

“I think I may know who you’re talking about. If I’m correct, you won’t find any references to her in these books. It’s not my place to explain the situation to you however. You should probably go speak with the brothers about her…” the butler paused for a second before continuing, “I believe Michael also knows a lot about the situation, though he doesn’t know the full story,” with that, he got up and pushed his chair in, “I must continue with my duties, but I appreciate the short reprieve. Good night.” 

“Night,” Mc called after him. _Huh. Michael knows?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

(Memory because I forgot) 

Mc followed Satan to a fairly large building. Satan, still so weird to say, had asked her if she wanted to go around the Devildom with him. The letters above the door were illegible, seeing as how the Devildom had their own language and alphabet, but she instantly knew where they were when they walked in, “You took me to an art gallery?!” 

“Oh, seems like I made a good choice,” Satan looked a tad shocked, but then smiled, “I like to come here to get away from stuff and clear my head.” 

“So, are these like human art galleries?” Mc asked. 

“I think so? Naturally, they have older, historically significant paintings, but they also exhibit pieces created by young, up-and-coming artists. And they’re always holding interesting events. It’s a lot of fun… Are you interested in art, Mc?” 

“Yeah, I am,” Mc answered. 

“Ah, is that so? I’ve got a feeling you and I might get along, then. I really love art.” 

Mc felt her heart thill at his words. She’d been interested in the blonde fourth-born the second she’d seen him, and her interest seemed to be well founded. 

Satan continued on about why he loved art, and though there was brand new art for her to look at, all she could do was hang watch Satan and hang onto his every word. He wasn’t saying anything she herself didn’t think, but just being here with him was giving her butterflies. 

“... If you’re nervous about coming here alone, then say the word, and I’ll join you anytime.” 

“Ah, that’s so nice of you. Now that I know this place exists, I’m definitely going to need to visit often.” 

“You’re really excited about this, aren’t you?” he was watching her, eyebrow quirked, but with a soft smile. 

“Of course! Not only do I have a whole new history to learn about, but there’s even new art!” 

Satan chuckled, “Well, I’m glad you’re actually interested in art. It really is important not to focus only on your outward appearance like Asmo, because the person you are on the inside has a way of showing through on the outside as well.” 

“I agree. Too many people’s beauty is only skin deep.” 

“Exactly. Incidentally, it looks like they’re having a contemporary art exhibit here today. Shall we go check it out?” 

“Definitely. I hope demon modern art is better than, “Four Blue Squares on Canvas”.” 

“Wait… Really?” 

“Yup. It’s a real art piece I saw in my University’s art museum.” 

“So, was it really…” 

“Just four blue squares on a white canvas, all equidistant from each other.” 

Satan blinked a couple times, “Well, I hope ours is better too.” 

They entered an exhibit space. Mc found herself a little disappointed, as she saw some of the same stange, abstract, postmodern art she would’ve seen at a human art gallery. Satan noticed the change and hurried to explain, “This is the human art wing. Many of the “lost” art pieces you’ve heard about can be found in collections here in the Devildom or in some of our galleries. This gallery is curated by Lord Diavolo, as advised by Barabatos, Lucifer and myself. Right now I believe this collection was put together by Lucifer.” 

“Ah. That makes sense,” Mc stated, lips pursed as she looked around, making Satan laugh. 

The duo continued through the gallery, Mc stopping every-so-often to examine a piece that caught her eye. Satan knew the artist’s name and the medium of almost every piece, though there were a few that were new to him too. 

“Check out this work here. The use of color is so novel, so original. It’s very eye catching.” 

Mc leaned down to read the museum label, “You know, that reddish color really reminds me of… Oh…” 

“Human blood? Yeah, I thought as much. Though the smell had been dampened, probably diluted with water, it’s still unmistakable,” Satan answered absentmindedly. Finally seeing Mc’s discomfort, he quickly tried to backpedal, “I’m sorry. I forgot human noses aren’t as... sensitive as demons. This artist makes pieces that stimulate multiple senses. She’s an acquaintance of mine. This piece in particular incorporates the blood of… Seven distinct creatures, demons included.” 

“Oh… Which one is the demon blood?” 

“The black. If I’m not mistaken, she used her own blood for this piece,” Mc nodded, the art more macabre than she’d originally thought, “Well, there’s a lot more to see than just this. Let’s see, what’s over here in this space?” They walked through an archway into a room that held a huge installation. A lot of strange items filled the room, some on pedestals, or the ground, while others hung from near translucent strings from the ceiling. The lighting in the room was generally low, specific spotlights or illumination obviously very strategically placed. A low glow on the floor marked a pathway that allowed the viewer to wander around the room. 

“Wow! Now this is very interesting,” Satan breathed, eyes glittering, “See? Check it out. At first glance it looks like a bunch of random stuff scattered all over the place, doesn’t it? But actually, every piece of rope, string and crumpled paper has been arranged very meticulously. It actually depicts a war between a dragon and an army of angels. If you want proof, look at it from the side. It looks as if the dragon is over powering the army. Buuuut,” Satan continued excitedly rushing over to the other side of the room, “When you look from this other angel here, it seems the angels have the upper hand.” 

“Interesting, because, from where I’m standing, I can see Earth.” 

“Wait, really?” Satan moved to where Mc was and bent down so he could view it from her height, “Would you look at that. I don’t think I ever would’ve seen that. How interesting… Very nice find,” he complimented, his smile, words and proximity making Mc’s cheeks heat up. 

They spent some more time in the room, though they didn’t find any other secrets. They both vowed to come back however to search some more. They then spent more time in the gallery before Satan suggested they head out to get some refreshments at a new cafe in the Devildom. 

“Thank you for that Satan,” Mc grinned, “That was some much needed mental refreshment.” 

“No, thank _you_ Mc. It can be difficult to get any of my brothers to spend time with me in a manner that I enjoy, and even harder still for them not to annoy me in the process, so I usually end up going around on my own. It was invigorating having someone with me who also appreciates art,” He grinned at her again, making her heart flutter. She could definitely get used to spending time with the Avatar of Wrath. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Mc blinked awake. That was the second dream she’d had that seemed more than just a dream involving him. She could still remember the first in clear detail, though her dreams usually started fading once she woke up. The only other time she’d experienced something like this was her memory of being a Wanderer. But… This couldn’t possibly be like that. That was a memory, and these were just the result of finally being able to talk to and spend time with the demon she’d admired for so long… Right? 

She shook her head, the large questions the dreams brought up already giving her a headache. Sighing, she grabbed her DDD, and grinned. So, he’d already read her letter huh? 


	15. Chapter 15

Mc followed Satan to a fairly large building. Satan, still so weird to say, had asked her if she wanted to go around the Devildom with him. The letters above the door were illegible, seeing as how the Devildom had their own language and alphabet, but she instantly knew where they were when they walked in, “You took me to an art gallery?!” 

“Oh, seems like I made a good choice,” Satan looked a tad shocked, but then smiled, “I like to come here to get away from stuff and clear my head.” 

“So, are these like human art galleries?” Mc asked. 

“I think so? Naturally, they have older, historically significant paintings, but they also exhibit pieces created by young, up-and-coming artists. And they’re always holding interesting events. It’s a lot of fun… Are you interested in art, Mc?” 

“Yeah, I am,” Mc answered. 

“Ah, is that so? I’ve got a feeling you and I might get along, then. I really love art.” 

Mc felt her heart thill at his words. She’d been interested in the blonde fourth-born the second she’d seen him, and her interest seemed to be well founded. 

Satan continued on about why he loved art, and though there was brand new art for her to look at, all she could do was hang watch Satan and hang onto his every word. He wasn’t saying anything she herself didn’t think, but just being here with him was giving her butterflies. 

“... If you’re nervous about coming here alone, then say the word, and I’ll join you anytime.” 

“Ah, that’s so nice of you. Now that I know this place exists, I’m definitely going to need to visit often.” 

“You’re really excited about this, aren’t you?” he was watching her, eyebrow quirked, but with a soft smile. 

“Of course! Not only do I have a whole new history to learn about, but there’s even new art!” 

Satan chuckled, “Well, I’m glad you’re actually interested in art. It really is important not to focus only on your outward appearance like Asmo, because the person you are on the inside has a way of showing through on the outside as well.” 

“I agree. Too many people’s beauty is only skin deep.” 

“Exactly. Incidentally, it looks like they’re having a contemporary art exhibit here today. Shall we go check it out?” 

“Definitely. I hope demon modern art is better than, “Four Blue Squares on Canvas”.” 

“Wait… Really?” 

“Yup. It’s a real art piece I saw in my University’s art museum.” 

“So, was it really…” 

“Just four blue squares on a white canvas, all equidistant from each other.” 

Satan blinked a couple times, “Well, I hope ours is better too.” 

They entered an exhibit space. Mc found herself a little disappointed, as she saw some of the same stange, abstract, postmodern art she would’ve seen at a human art gallery. Satan noticed the change and hurried to explain, “This is the human art wing. Many of the “lost” art pieces you’ve heard about can be found in collections here in the Devildom or in some of our galleries. This gallery is curated by Lord Diavolo, as advised by Barabatos, Lucifer and myself. Right now I believe this collection was put together by Lucifer.” 

“Ah. That makes sense,” Mc stated, lips pursed as she looked around, making Satan laugh. 

The duo continued through the gallery, Mc stopping every-so-often to examine a piece that caught her eye. Satan knew the artist’s name and the medium of almost every piece, though there were a few that were new to him too. 

“Check out this work here. The use of color is so novel, so original. It’s very eye catching.” 

Mc leaned down to read the museum label, “You know, that reddish color really reminds me of… Oh…” 

“Human blood? Yeah, I thought as much. Though the smell had been dampened, probably diluted with water, it’s still unmistakable,” Satan answered absentmindedly. Finally seeing Mc’s discomfort, he quickly tried to backpedal, “I’m sorry. I forgot human noses aren’t as... sensitive as demons. This artist makes pieces that stimulate multiple senses. She’s an acquaintance of mine. This piece in particular incorporates the blood of… Seven distinct creatures, demons included.” 

“Oh… Which one is the demon blood?” 

“The black. If I’m not mistaken, she used her own blood for this piece,” Mc nodded, the art more macabre than she’d originally thought, “Well, there’s a lot more to see than just this. Let’s see, what’s over here in this space?” They walked through an archway into a room that held a huge installation. A lot of strange items filled the room, some on pedestals, or the ground, while others hung from near translucent strings from the ceiling. The lighting in the room was generally low, specific spotlights or illumination obviously very strategically placed. A low glow on the floor marked a pathway that allowed the viewer to wander around the room. 

“Wow! Now this is very interesting,” Satan breathed, eyes glittering, “See? Check it out. At first glance it looks like a bunch of random stuff scattered all over the place, doesn’t it? But actually, every piece of rope, string and crumpled paper has been arranged very meticulously. It actually depicts a war between a dragon and an army of angels. If you want proof, look at it from the side. It looks as if the dragon is over powering the army. Buuuut,” Satan continued excitedly rushing over to the other side of the room, “When you look from this other angel here, it seems the angels have the upper hand.” 

“Interesting, because, from where I’m standing, I can see Earth.” 

“Wait, really?” Satan moved to where Mc was and bent down so he could view it from her height, “Would you look at that. I don’t think I ever would’ve seen that. How interesting… Very nice find,” he complimented, his smile, words and proximity making Mc’s cheeks heat up. 

They spent some more time in the room, though they didn’t find any other secrets. They both vowed to come back however to search some more. They then spent more time in the gallery before Satan suggested they head out to get some refreshments at a new cafe in the Devildom. 

“Thank you for that Satan,” Mc grinned, “That was some much needed mental refreshment.” 

“No, thank _you_ Mc. It can be difficult to get any of my brothers to spend time with me in a manner that I enjoy, and even harder still for them not to annoy me in the process, so I usually end up going around on my own. It was invigorating having someone with me who also appreciates art,” He grinned at her again, making her heart flutter. She could definitely get used to spending time with the Avatar of Wrath. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Mc blinked awake. That was the second dream she’d had that seemed more than just a dream. She could still remember the first in clear detail, though her dreams usually started fading once she woke up. The only other time she’d experienced something like this was her memory of being a Wanderer. But… This couldn’t possibly be like that. That was a memory, and these were just the result of finally being able to talk to and spend time with the demon she’d admired for so long… Right? She shook her head, the large questions the dreams brought up already giving her a headache. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

“Dude, just read it.” 

“Easy for you to say.” 

Belphie sighed and got up, grabbing the letter off of the kitchen counter. 

“What are you doing?” Satan asked. 

“Well, if you’re not going to open it, I will. I can’t believe you didn’t read and respond to this that night. Honestly, you’re one of the most powerful demons in the Devildom and you can’t even-” he was cut off by Satan grabbing the letter from him, the seal already halfway broken. 

“I will open it myself, thank you.” 

“Then do it,” Belphie said, unaffected by Satan’s anger. 

Satan narrowed his eyes, and turned back to the letter in his hands. Logically, he understood why he was nervous, and usually knowing the why behind a feeling would help him get it under control, but that had never worked with any feelings toward Mc. He had hoped this time around would be different, and he was almost more nervous than before. There seemed to be so much more riding on her returned affection than before. Cautiously, he broke the rest of the seal on the envelope, and pulled the letter out/ 

Dear Satan, 

I would love to get coffee with you sometime! If I can be even half as engaging as last time, I’ll consider it a job well done. To help us plan that and talk more easily in the future, I included my number ;) Once you text me, I have a secret to share with you. 

Satan blinked a couple times. He turned the letter over to see if she’d written anything on the back. No such luck. Was that really all she’d written? 

“Forever the tease I see.” 

“... Did you just read that over my shoulder?” 

“Well, when you delay as much as you did, and then have that kind of reaction, who wouldn’t? Anyway, you should text her.” 

“I… Yes, you’re right. I definitely should,” Satan said grabbing his DDD. He opened the messaging app, typed in her number and… just sat there. 

“You good?” 

“Hmmm? Oh, yeah. I’m just not sure how to start the-” 

He was cut off by Belphie grabbing his DDD, typing something, and then tossing it back to him, “There you go. I’m going to go sleep now. It’s way past my bedtime.” 

“Wait, what did you even-” 

“Night,” Belphie called from the doorway before walking out. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Satan was reading when his DDD meowed that he had a message. He almost threw the book he was reading into the air as he lunged for his DDD which was on the table next to him. He didn’t even have time to be embarrassed at his over-the-top-reaction. 

Satan: A secret? 

Mc: Yes :D

My name is not Jane Doe, though 

I’m sure you’ve already

surmised that much

Satan: I thought as much, though it really is 

an ingenious alias. 

Mc: Thank you! I thought so too 

Satan: So… Do I get to know what you’re 

real name is? 

Mc: Hmmm… What if I want to go get

that coffee with you before

I divulge that information?

Satan: We’ll just have to go get that coffee then. 

Mc: {Devildom smiley sticker}

When?

Satan: Whenever you’d like. I am free today. 

Only if you want though. 

Mc: Okay! Shall we say… 16:00?

Satan: As long as there’s no last minute RAD 

Student Council meetings called, that should 

be perfect {smiley Devildom sticker} 

Mc: Well, if there is, I’ll just have to come

tell everyone you already made plans.

I’ve been meaning to visit RAD anyway.

Satan: {Devildom laughing sticker} 

Oh how I’d love to see Lucifer’s reaction 

to that. 

Mc: {Devildom smiling sticker}

Satan: Wait… Shouldn’t you be asleep right 

now? 

It’s rather late. 

Mc: I was asleep, but…

Satan: Bad dream? 

Mc: No actually. Quite the opposite.

I just can’t stop thinking now.

Satan: Ah. I understand that. 

Anything I can do to help? 

Mc: Would you talk to me a bit

longer? Maybe tell me about the

latest book you’ve been reading?

Satan: Of course. 

Though he wished Mc would talk to him about what was bothering her, he figured this was probably the better option. They hadn’t met many times, and prying might upset her. So, he simply started telling her the basic plot of the new novel he’d picked up. Eventually, she stopped responding, and the messages stopped being shown as read. Satan smiled at that, texted her good night, and snuggled down into bed himself. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

“I’m sorry!” Mc’s voice brought Satan out of the book of poetry he’d been reading, “Not only did I fall asleep while texting you last night, but then I was late today and I set the meetup time? Ugh, I feel so bad and I’m so sorry!” 

“You’re alright,” Satan smiled, not wanting to acknowledge how much anxiety had been eased up by her appearing. 

“I woke up late, and I dropped my DDD bad enough that we have to get a new one all together, and then Michael was asking me about native Devildom fabrics and if he should get a new outfit made in one… It’s just been a day so far.” 

“Like, I said, it’s all okay. I’m sure you would’ve messaged me if you could.” 

“I would’ve. I still feel bad… But thank you for being okay with it,” the look of anxiety to joy that she gave him made every second he’d spent waiting worth it. 

“O-Of course,” he got out. 

“So, what were you reading?” 

“A collection of Arabic love poems.” 

“Ah, “... When I love, / I become liquid light,” and “... If the devil was to ever see you, he’d kiss your eyes and repent,” Mc sighed, resting her chin on her hand. Then, as if remembering her current company and current residence, she shot up, “Sorry! I just really love that line.” 

Satan laughed, and then said a quote of his own, “My lips and fingers were pens on her flesh. / I memorized her in every alphabet and memorized my memories until they multiplied…” 

“I look at you and I dream of snow, I look at you and I await autumn…” 

“My temptations in your eyes, And the cities of your grief,” Satan quoted just then realizing they were both leaning in towards each other. He leaned back a bit abruptly and cleared his throat, “Anyway, I really enjoy Adonis’ work.” 

“Me too,” Mc answered, leaning back as well. Fortunately, a waiter came up to them to take their order, helping resolve the awkward air his sudden retreat had created. He tried to collect his thoughts as she ordered. He could only think of one thing to talk about though. 

“So… Your name is not Jane Doe.” 

“Nope.” 

“So... What is it?” _Didn’t they have this conversation last night?_

Mc looked disappointed for a second, but then she was back to normal, “It’s Mc.” 

“Really? That’s a lovely name.” 

She looked up, eyes measuring him, “You think so?” 

“Of course! It suits you really well,” Satan said. 

“Well, there’s actually an interesting story behind that. Usually when an angel becomes an angel, they receive a new name. Back in the past, they used to allow them the choice between their new name and their old one. This resulted in too many angels remembering their human life, so they stopped allowing it. I’m the first angel in quite some time to keep the same name as I had in life.” 

“Really?” 

“Yup. Apparently Sim and Luke were insistent on it. Luke didn’t have a ton of clout upstairs at the time, but Sim does. I promised I wouldn’t question them too much about my human life.” 

“They were huh? That’s interesting…” 

“Why?” 

“Oh, uhhh… Just general curiosity. I’ve been trying to pin down what kind of person Simeon is since the first exchange program,” Satan scrambled, actually managing to sound convincing. 

Mc just hesitated and then nodded, not keeping eye contact with him. 

“I’m sorry. I’m just nervous that I’ll make a fool of myself and ruin this time like I have the other times we’ve talked,” Satan confessed in Latin, his brain still on the last language he had been reading. Saying the things that had been bothering him started when he became more comfortable around Mc the first time around. He found saying the things on his mind out loud usually released much of his nervous energy, helped him understand what and how he was feeling without doing things to make Mc uncomfortable, even if she hadn’t understood most of what he’d said. It had become something they had shared, causing her to work hard to learn other languages so she could catch the little embarrassing things he said. 

Mc gave him a look before replying, “Well, you didn’t mess up last time.” 

“Well, I-” Satan cut off when his brain caught up to his mouth. She had just responded. In perfect Latin. His brain flipped back to their discussion on Arabic poetry and he realized she had been quoting that in Arabic too, “I hadn’t realized… Of course you speak other languages.” 

“I have to read it in its original tongue. Translations generally don’t do the original justice,” Satan was still trying to think of an appropriate response when Mc spoke again, “Question though: Why did you say that in Arabic?” 

“I… I fell into that habit awhile ago.” 

“I thought a lot of demons knew different languages.” 

“Well, I don’t do this around other demons. I don’t care what most of them think of me…” Satan cut off as the waiter came back with their drinks. 

Mc sat in thought for a second before realization dawned on her, “Oh, was it because of…” her face fell before she could continue her thought. 

“Hmmm? Did you say something?” 

“No, just a stray thought that slipped out.” 

“Hmmm… Well, do you want to tell me more about yourself?” 

“Only if you tell me more about yourself.” 

“Sounds fair to me. We can trade off asking questions.” 

“Okay,” Mc seemed very excited by the prospect, and Satan found it infectious. The questions were a bit stilted at first, but they slowly fell into a comfortable space. Though the answers Mc gave, it seemed she was the same person essentially, but a lot more educated, even more opinionated, and with a different upbringing. He found the fact her personality had remained intact very interesting as well as relieving. He found the fact she was now an angel not as terrible as he thought it’d be. Sure, she spoke about saving souls and bringing people to the light, but with what she’d done for him and his brothers, it seemed a perfect fit. He’d always known she was a really good person. At times it had almost made him try to give up on their relationship, not wanting to corrupt her, but also feeling it in his very nature too. Now however, he didn’t necessarily feel that for her. She was an angel and it took a lot to corrupt an angel. He didn’t feel any animosity towards her and found her to be a lot like Simeon in her regard to demons. He found himself thanking Simeon for keeping her intact. _If they couldn’t give her back to me, this is probably the next best thing._

They were both surprised when Mc’s DDD rang, a call from Luke asking if she’d be back in time for dinner. While she was on the phone, Satan received a similar call from an annoyed Beel telling him it was time to come home. Lucifer wouldn’t let him eat until he’d gotten home. They both got off the phone at the same time. 

“I… actually have to go. I hadn’t realized how late it’s gotten.” 

“I didn’t either. I have to go as well. There’s a hungry Avatar of Gluttony at home and a stupid Avatar of Pride that won’t let him eat until I get back.” 

“Well, I really had a good time tonight. We should do this again sometime.” 

“I agree,” Satan smiled, “Today was amazing.” 

Mc smiled and blushed a bit, “I’ll text you later then?” 

“Definitely. Bye!” 

Mc waved cutely and then started running off in the direction of the castle. Satan watched her until she was out of sight, smiling softly the whole time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did some special formatting on this chapter, so hopefully it saved (Tumblr didn't).  
> I apologize if the poetry translations are wonky. I got them from a Twitter thread.


	16. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm sorry for the late update, again. This time I blame this website. Something weird was going on, and it wasn't allowing me to post anything into the chapter text box (it kept graying out completely). Anyway, know there is quite a bit of angst in this update

Mc twirled the pencil she had been sketching with debating if she should ask the question she had been thinking about. Her and Michael were the only ones in the room and no one would be coming in for quite awhile. This was probably the best time she’d get to ask, "Hey, Michael. Can I ask you a question?"

He looked up from his book, "Yes? What is it?" 

"Well, I was reading a book the other day, and I came across something odd. It… it was about the Avatar's Fall," Mc couldn't look at Michael, so she just continued, "Eyewitness accounts say there were eight angels that fell that day. So, I was wondering: Was there an eighth angel who fell that day?" 

The silence was heavy, threatening to crush Mc. After a long moment, Michael's voice sounded lowly, "And just why were you reading about something like that?" 

"Meeting them in person got me curious." 

"And you would believe an eyewitness account over the teachings of the Celestial Realm?" 

"Well, not necessarily. I just was curious since I'd never heard of there being another angel who Fell." 

There was silence, and Mc still couldn't make herself look over, "I suppose just because some of them have paid attention to you makes you think you know all about demons.” 

“No, it’s not that.” 

“Then what is it then? If you haven’t forgotten, demons will lie about anything. Sinning comes naturally to them. In fact, the seven you keep coming into contact with are the embodiment of some of the most damaging sins. The lower demons are even worse.” 

“I just want the most information possible. If there was another angel who fell that day, shouldn’t we tell everyone?” 

“You forget your place, Mc. You may have luxuries other angels do not possess, but that does not raise your station. Questioning Father’s teachings. To believe something a demon wrote about another demon-" 

"I'm not really questioning. I was just confused because-" 

"And now you interrupt me? Just who do you think you are? I am an archangel, and the only reason you've been allowed down here. You are a simple angel that we have allowed to express her talents throughout the three realms. Do not make me wonder if it was the right decision." 

Mc flinched at the door closing. Though he hadn't slammed it, nor had he raised his voice, she had felt the waves of displeasure rolling off of him. The threat about sending her back to the Celestial Realm had her really nervous. Before she was aware of what she was doing, the message had been sent. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

“I could’ve come to the castle.” 

“Hmmm… I don’t think that would be for the best right now.” 

Satan cocked his head, “Did something happen?” 

“Kind of. Anyway, thanks for meeting me here.” 

“Of course. Is there anything in particular you’d like to do?” 

“Well, I kinda thought, since I have an invitation and all, that you could show me around the House of Lamentation.” 

“I… I mean, if you want to. I’m warning you now, it’s almost never calm there. My brothers are… a handful.” 

“Sounds great!” 

Satan looked over in shock, “Seriously?” 

Mc nodded her head, “I grew up with calm. I want some excitement.” 

“Well, be careful what you wish for.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~` 

“GIVE ME BACK MY LIMITED DIAMOND EDITION SUCREY FRENZY SIGNED POSTER MAMMON! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT’S WORTH!” 

“Course I know what it’s worth! Why’d ya think I took it in the firs’ place?” 

“SO YOU DID TAKE IT!!!” 

“Oh. Whoops! Forget I said anythin’.” 

“MAMMON!” 

A blur of demon shot past Mc and Satan. All Mc could make out was white and brown, before Leviathan went past, considerably slower than Mammon, but still fast for a demon. At least, Mc thought it might be Leviathan. The shy purple haired demon was now in all black, with black horns and a snake-like tail. He also looked like he was going to rip apart his brother. 

Satan sighed, continuing forward, hands in his pockets, “Welcome to the House of Lamentation.” 

“Shouldn’t we do something?” 

“Hmm? Oh, about them? I wouldn’t worry about it.” 

“Ah. I see…” 

“We should probably get you out of the immediate vicinity though. There’s no telling what those two idiots might do.” 

“Where should we go then?” 

“Hmmm… Well, since we’re close, I guess we could start with the kitchen.” 

“Sounds good to me!” 

As they walked, Mc looked around her. Though the decorations were both a tad macabre and extremely grand, she found herself… comfortable. The candle light cast everything in an almost cheery glow, and the atmosphere, while a little daunting, made her feel like she was… 

“... Home.” 

Satan stopped dead in his tracks, and turned slowly towards her, “W-wait… What did you say?” 

“Oh, did I say that outloud? Sorry. That probably sounded really weird,” when Satan didn’t answer, Mc continued a bit awkwardly, “It’s just… This is the most comfortable I’ve been in a brand new place in a long time. I thought maybe my attraction to the Devildom was just because of how novel it all is to an angel. But… Being in this house, it just makes everything feel more like… Home,” Mc looked up to see Satan looking at her with a very tender but sad look, “Is everything alright?” 

“Yeah. Let’s keep going.” 

When they got to the kitchen, Belphegor and Beelzebub were there, former hiding his head in his arms and the latter consuming a concerning amount of food in a very short time. He stopped when Satan and Mc entered the room. 

“Burfy! Wrok hus herr!” 

“Hmmm? What? Who is it?” 

“Ots Emm Fee!” 

Belphegor lifted his head tiredly, but smiled when he saw Satan and Mc, “So, you took us up on the invitation?” 

“Yup. Satan’s showing me around.” 

“Do you guys want some food?” Beelzebub asked, mouth cleared for a second. 

“Well, I-" 

"Here. You can have this," Beel said, grabbing her hand and dropping what looked to be a kind of sweet bun in it. He gazed at it for a second then looked at her and grinned before walking back to his food pile. 

"You should eat it," Satan said quietly, " He doesn't share his food with just anybody." 

"Oh. Okay," Mc said, looking at the sweet. She took a small bite and then her eyes grew wide before eating the whole thing. 

"Thought you'd like it," the Avatar of Gluttony smiled. 

"It was absolutely delicious! What was it?" 

"An orange roll. It's a human word treat." 

"I'm going to have to have Luke make it later." 

"Did he come with you?" Beel's eyes were shining. 

"Ummm… Not this time." 

"Oh." 

"I'll make sure to let him know next time I'm coming." 

"Please do," Beel said, smiling again. 

"Well, I'm going to continue our tour if that's alright." 

"Yes, please do," Mc smiled, turning back to him. 

"Have fun you two," Belphie said, dropping his head back onto his arm. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Mc and Satan progressed through the house. The feeling of familiarity just kept growing as they went. There was a room off the kitchen that Mc felt very drawn to. Satan said it was just an unused bedroom, nothing of note, but it did nothing to curb her interest. In fact, it made her want to see what was inside even more. 

When they got to the library, they had to stop because Mc was so excited. No matter how many library’s she saw, personal or otherwise, they never failed to excite her. The fact it was the personal library of the Fallen was not lost on her. 

“Do you want to stop here for a bit?” Satan chuckled. 

Mc turned to him with wide eyes, “Can we?” 

“Of course. Spending time with books is always time well spent. Anything in particular you’d like to look for?” 

“Ummm… Do you just want to give me a tour?” 

“Of the library?... Hmm… I suppose I could do that. Lucifer does like it organized a certain way. And, of course, if there’s a book that catches your eye, all you have to do is say the word and we can stop to read.” 

“Oh, that’s what you’re really after,” Mc teased. 

“Well, can you blame me? Reading with someone in companionable silence is one of life’s greatest joys.” 

“Well, I suppose it is nice to just sit and read with Sim, though he’s probably the only one I’ve read with.” 

“Really?” 

“Yeah. Most other angels don’t just sit and read very often. Unless it’s scripture.” 

“Sounds about right,” Satan said, rolling his eyes and starting to climb the stairs that lead to the second story of the library. 

The “certain way” Lucifer liked the books to be organized was by genre, then alphabetically by author.If an author had multiple books, they were to be then sorted alphabetically by title, any series sorted by the first book’s title then in order. Many of the books were old though in impeccable condition. Mc was impressed by the breadth of selection available, and she could sense some spacial magic at work which housed more books than what was visible to the naked eye. While browsing, Mc found a book that looked interesting, and carried it until the tour was over. Satan happened to have a book in a hidden pocket in his jacket so they decided to sit and read awhile. Instead of the ground floor, Satan knew of a little nook on the second story which had a cushioned window seat and two plush reading chairs, so they went and sat there. 

Though the story was interesting, she just couldn’t get into the book she’d grabbed. Her mind kept wandering back to her earlier conversation with Michael. She didn’t know how she could have brought up the subject in a way where he wouldn’t have gotten so upset with her. He’d reprimanded her before, but never had he been so dismissive and final about it. 

“Are you alright?” Satan’s voice cut through her thoughts. She looked over to see him watching her. 

She suddenly felt embarrassed, and averted her eyes, “It’s… Well, I got reprimanded by Michael.” 

“Why?” 

So Mc told him about her search for information, how Barbatos had told her to ask Michael and his rebuke. When she finished, Satan’s face was impossible to read. He was silent for long enough, she was concerned she had offended him somehow. Finally he spoke, “Lilith. Her name was Lilith. If you want some answers about what happened, I think Lucifer would be the best person to give them to you. I would suggest Beel, but he has enough trauma about what happened as it is. I don’t even know if he remembers, or if he’s blocked it…” 

“Blocked what?” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~` 

Satan knocked on a bookshelf on the ground floor. A deep voice sounded from behind it, “Enter.” At the word, the bookshelf sung open to reveal a secret room. Despite wondering what was going on, Mc was both delighted and intrigued. 

“You guys actually have a secret room behind a bookcase?!” 

Satan shrugged, “Yeah. The house has a lot more secrets too. It would’ve been my room had I not lost a bet with Lucifer. Now it’s his office,” and with that, he walked in. 

The whole room was a lot cozier than Mc would’ve expected. Austere and imposing yes, but there was a level of warmth and comfort to the room Mc would never have expected. 

“Satan, what is it?” Lucifer sat at his desk, quill scratching across some paperwork. He hadn’t looked up. 

“Mc has a question for you.” 

This got him to look up, “Ah Mc. How can I help you?” 

“Oh, if I’m interrupting something I can come back later.” 

“I could use a break anyway. Please continue,” Lucifer sat there expectantly. 

“Okay. Umm…” the memory of Michael flashed through Mc’s mind, and she winced a bit, but continued on with her story. Lucifer’s eyes darkened the further into the story she got. When she got to Michael’s chastisement, Lucifer got up from his chair abruptly, and went over to his window, back to Satan and Mc. Mc faltered in her story, watching as his clothes changed, horns pushing up and out from his head. 

“I told her you’d be the one to ask,” Satan intervened, coming to stand behind Mc. 

“Why? You know everything. You were there,” Lucifer asked, back still turned. 

“You know the whole story,” Satan shrugged, eyes on the black clad figure. 

Lucifer was silent and unmoving for quite awhile. Mc’s tension was on high alert for quite awhile, not seeing the horns retreating, until he finally spoke, “Before I begin, I feel I must warn you. You are going to hear things you probably won’t like or agree with. You are **not** to interrupt me. There will be a chance for me to answer your questions at the end, but only at the end. I will not explain my actions. The only person I answer to is Lord Diavolo. Whether you believe them correct or not, I am not embellishing the truth nor am I trying to hide from it. Knowing all of that, do you want me to continue?” 

“... Yes. I would like to know the truth,” Mc answered confidently, though the fact he was still angry put her on edge. She knew he wasn’t angry at her at least. 

The eldest, having calmed down enough to revert out of his demon form, came over and sat behind his desk. Satan came and sat next to her, earning a look from Lucifer, “You’re going to stay?” 

“She is my guest.” 

Lucifer raised his eyebrows, but said nothing, turning his attention back to Mc, “Have you heard about the Great Celestial War?” Mc nodded, and he continued, “No doubt you’ve heard their version of what happened. Probably talks about me and my brothers rampaging around the Celestial Realm until they finally cast us out?” Lucifer looked to her for confirmation. 

“More or less,” Mc conceded. 

“I am sure they make me out to be a villain in every way?” 

“They say before you became angry, you were the model angel.” 

“That is… interesting to know. Thank you for that. Now, where to begin?... Do you know anything about our sister?” Mc shook her head no, and Lucifer sighed angrily, “To think they just… Lilith came into my little makeshift family with Beel and Belphie. They were almost triplets in a sense of the word. Beel was the sun, Belphie the moon and Lilith the stars, though I would argue she shined the most brightly out of them. She was... angelic. They should really point to her as the model angel. She was everything an angel should and could be. Though they were all very close, once Beel made himself my bodyguard, Belphie and Lilith spent a lot of time together. Belphie had a habit of going off the the human realm whenever he could, which was not seen as a good thing, though he knew how to keep himself unattached to the humans he happened to meet, so no one could really do much more than grumble. That is, until Lilith started going down him. 

Her heart was so pure and full of love, she ended up falling in love with one of the humans she met. Belphie tried to talk her out of it, but it was no use. When the rumors started, I asked both of them what was going on. From what they both said, it was love at first sight. Though I was furious, I went down myself to meet the man in question, and found myself unable to criticize her. He was everything I could have wanted for my sister. 

Unfortunately, he was mortal and he came down with a serious illness. Lilith was devastated. We all tried to tell her this was a good thing. He was a good enough person he would probably join us in the Celestial Realm. I even spoke with my father and got permission for her to lead him to the Celestial Realm when he passed. She wouldn’t listen however. He had told her all about his dreams for the future and she couldn’t let his life end. SO she concocted a plan. I wish she would’ve told me about it earlier, but I only found out about it after the deed had been done. She took a Tarel fruit and fed it to him,” Mc gasped despite herself. That fruit was precious. Michael himself wasn’t allowed any unless Father approved of it. Lucifer didn’t even acknowledge the outburst, “He recovered, obviously, but the damage was irreversible. As punishment for her sins, my father decided she would be put on trial, though we all knew the outcome, “ as did Mc. Either death or complete exile. They were essentially one-and-the-same. 

“I had… many issues with the Celestial Realm and how it was run. How it probably still is. I was able to put those all aside however for the sake of my family and my position. This however,” and Mc could see the rage that still filled his eyes, “I could never forgive. Not if it meant the death of our dear baby sister. All my brothers felt the same way, especially Beel and Belphie. We all decided we were going to do something about it. Despite what anyone might say, I did try to go the “correct way” in the beginning. Supplications to my father. Speaking to others that might listen. I think we even tried a petition at one point. Very few would listen. I think there was a level of envy from most of the other angels. They saw in Lilith all their shortcomings, and so they had latched onto the one “bad” thing anyone could ever remember her doing. 

“Tensions came to a head one day when I told my father and Michael I would do everything in my power to keep Lilith safe. Michael then looked me dead in the eyes and told me my sister was going to be punished, even if he had to do it himself. I left that meeting trembling with rage, and that’s when I knew I would wage war against anyone who tried to hurt my family, even if that meant fighting my father myself. I flew into the sky that day and sent my declaration of war over the entire Celestial Realm. 

“Some came to our aid, but most sat on the opposing side. The war was long and bloody. Many that had flocked to our aid perished, low ranked angels who didn’t stand a chance against the likes of Michael and his bow. On what would come to be known as the last day of the war, we had so few left, my precious family had to be put near the front of the battle. Everything was going fine, and we were actually winning when I saw Michael emerge from the enemy forces. He had spotted Lilith, standing with Beel and Belphie, and I could see his intentions before anyone else. I tried my hardest to reach the three youngest, but a large crowd of angels came to attack me. Whether it was his plan all along to keep me tied up with so many, I don’t know. All I do know is that by the time I had fought off all my attackers it was too late. He had strung three arrows pointing them at my family. They all knew it was coming too, and I watched the panic set in to all three of them, with Beel in the middle. He chose to save Belphie. Lilith went down with an arrow to the wing, which was then followed by three more arrows shot by others, one to her other wing, one to the stomach, and then one to the chest. She looked over to me as she started falling and I…” Lucifer’s voice broke and he had to take a second to compose himself, “Well, let’s just say I will never forget it. After the shock had worn off, I flew after her as she fell. I tried to shoot down as fast as I could hoping to grab her, but it was no use. She crashed into the Devildom, wings singed body broken. 

“I didn’t tell anyone about that day for a long time. Eventually I did tell Barbatos and Lord Diavolo who Lilith’s murderer was, which is why Barbatos knew who to send you to for answers. The fact Michael wouldn’t come clean about the whole thing, and that they’ve essentially erased her from history… It makes my blood boil. To see Diavolo acting so chummy with my sister’s murderer…” Mc could see, through the film of tears blocking her vision, Lucifer’s horns starting to emerge again. 

Without thinking, she crossed over to him and hugged him, openly weeping. The thought was appalling. Whenever people spoke about the Great Celestial War, they always spoke of Michael’s brilliant tactical genius. They spoke of how he’d helped crush the rebellion, though they had never gone into detail. She now knew why. Lucifer was taken aback for a second by the behavior, but eventually hugged her back. 


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! It's been a sec *laughs nervously* Anyway, I'm back with another chapter! I finally got over my huge bout of writers block and my irl problems are starting to iron themselves out, so I was able to write!

Satan sat in his room, contemplating whether telling Mc about Michael was a good idea or not. It’d been a couple days since she’d come over and he hadn’t heard anything from her. It was worrying him more than he wanted to admit, but he knew from spending a lot of time with her as a human, it would be a better idea for him to leave her alone until she was ready to talk to him.  _ From the way she speaks about him, it’s pretty clear their relationship is a bit strained. Actually, it reminds me a bit of me and Lucifer, though with obvious differences.  _

While the Avatar of Wrath would never admit it aloud, he did have a kind of respect for Lucifer. It took a different form than anyone else’s mostly because he knew him. All of him. Flaws, strengths, weaknesses, secrets. Well, at least up until his birth. He’d had no idea about Lilith and what Lucifer had done. Lucifer had definitely changed a lot since the Fall, but Satan could generally figure out what he was thinking or how he was going to respond to a situation.  _ So, what was going on with Mc and Michael? _

Obviously he didn’t want her talking with him at least. There was probably some fear she’d fall, taking the path of her ancestor but for a being in the Devildom. He couldn’t see any war resulting from her Falling. It would be from her own choice, with no forbidden fruit or humans involved. He was pretty sure Michael didn’t feel anything romantic for her, so it probably wasn’t anything involved in wanting her to stay for him. So why?

He was pulled from his thoughts by his DDD ringing. Hoping it was Mc, he answered by the second ring, “Hello?”

“Congratulations! You’ve won an-” Satan growled and hung up. Stupid solicitor.

There was a knock at his door, “Yo Satan. I got somethin’ for ya’,” Satan sighed, but got up to answer the door. Pulling it open, he saw Mammon and Mc on the other side, “Said she wanted ta talk ta ya. It sounded urgent so…” Mammon smiled a bit apologetically.

“That’s quite alright. Mc, hello. How lovely to see you. Do you want to come in?”

“I’d appreciate that. Thank you,” Mc entered his room as Satan shot daggers through his eyes at Mammon.

“A little warning next time would be nice.”

“Oi! If ya hadn’t been so… gloomy lately maybe I wouldn’t have been so worried- No, ya should just be grateful to the Great Mammon. I’m not an errand boy ya know,” and with that, Mammon stalked off down the hallway.

Satan rolled his eyes, but didn’t say anything back. He understood Mammon was just trying to help him, “Well, it’s nice to see you Mc. How… Are you okay?” Mc was turning slowly, looking at his room in awe. He would’ve just figured she was simply impressed by his room like she had been the other first time she’d seen it, but she looked rattled.

“Oh! I was just… Umm… Your collection is really impressive,” she deflected his question, smiling. The unease remained in her eyes though.

“Yes. This is my personal collection,” Satan answered, leaving his question unanswered.

“It’s quite… impressive,” as she turned, Satan caught her frown again.  _ Does she not like how messy it is? _

“Though they’re not all on shelves, I make sure they’re all kept in good shape. I honestly just don’t have enough wall space or bookshelves for them all.”

“Oh… I understand. I tend to get book piles too,” Mc answered, a bit caught off guard. 

_ So it’s not the mess. What could it be? _

“So, what are you doing here? Not that I’m not happy to see you. I just haven’t heard from you for a couple days.”

“I’m sorry about that and just showing up out of the blue like this. I had a lot to think about after… last time, and some things to research. Then inspiration randomly struck for my next art show. Not to mention, Michael’s been keeping a close eye on me ever since he blew up. I wanted to see you, and I didn’t even think to message you first. I’m sorry about that.”

Satan was at a loss for words.  _ She wanted to come see me. She wanted to see me so much, she just showed up. I should really say something to her right now, but I’m not sure what to say. _

“You’re not angry with me, are you?” Mc turned back to him, looking worried.

“Of course not. I was afraid you were possibly upset with me, and Lucifer I suppose, for what we told you. I know hearing something like that must be hard.”

Mc smiled, “Well, that’s good to know. As to what you told me… I do trust you guys. More so than I trust most of the other angels in fact… But you are demons and what you told me was… Anyway, I was researching what you told me to see if I could corroborate your story and I did find a couple different mentions of Lilith, one of which told of a connection between her and the fruit. I couldn’t prove or disprove the claims that he… That he was the one that shot her, but with how defensive he immediately got after I mentioned seven angels falling instead of six… I… I can’t bring myself to believe he’d do something that terrible yet, but I do believe you guys on everything else, and… it’s not beyond the realm of possibility. In any case, the Celestial Realm definitely covered up much of the war, including its causes. I had a suspicion when I originally learned about it, but figured it was all just in my head,” Mc looked Satan straight in the eyes, “I want to thank you for being honest with me.”

“How are you so sure we didn’t lie to you? Like you said, we are demons.”

“Call it a hunch,” Mc smiled, “Anyway, I really appreciate it, and I wanted you to have this,” she handed him a very lifelike drawing, “I thought you might like cats, so I frew my favorite one from the Celestial Realm.”

Satan couldn’t believe his eyes, “Leo?”

“Huh?”

“That’s Leo. I… half adopted him a while ago.”

“How can you tell?”

“Well, he’s got hearts all over him right? The one on his forehead and chest are the most prominent, but there’s a couple more on his back and stomach right? Hold on. I have a couple photos here,” and Satan went rustling through a drawer. It was hard to find a photo of him without Mc, but he knew there were some. Leo was a cat that he and Mc had adopted together. She’d used all her charm and reasoning skills to get Lucifer to agree to allowing a cat in the house. She had promised him it would only be the one cat, though they secretly were planning on getting another once Leo passed. They unfortunately didn’t get the chance to see that happen, as Mc passed away before Leo did. Lucifer had allowed Satan to keep the cat as a way to cope with Mc’s death.  _ He listened to me! I told him to go find his Mom once he left me, and he did! I’m so happy! _

He finally found a good picture to show Mc, “See? Same cat.”

“Oh my! You’re right! That’s incredible!”

“So, you said he was your favorite?”

“Yeah. Because of how transient most cats are, they don’t spend long in the Celestial Realm. He may not spend a lot of time with me, but I do see him around a lot, and he has comforted me before. A lot of the other angels think he was a pet of mine from my human life, and that's why he sticks around.”

“Well, who wouldn’t want to stay with you?”

Mc looked up at Satan, “You really think that?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”

“You didn’t even know me then. What if I was boring or really dumb in the human realm?”

Satan slapped himself internally for not being more careful, “I highly doubt you were either of those two things. I know when people come down here, they don’t lose any of their personality.”

“Really?”

“Yup. It makes the whole process of breaking them so much more entertaining,” seeing Mc’s worried expression, he cleared his throat and moved on, “With that line of thinking, angels would be the same way. Your placement was just decided by how good you were in life.”

“What if I was a Wanderer though?”

Satan sucked in a breath at that. She had been a Wanderer? There was a chance she could have ended up here with him?

“There’s a lot of theories on why someone might Wander. None of them are conclusive though. I wouldn’t worry too much about it if I were you.”

“Satan?”

“Yes?”

“When the time comes, will you answer my questions?” Mc didn’t look at Satan, but he had the feeling this was an extremely important question.

“Of course I will.”

Satan watched some tension leave Mc’s body, as she turned to him and smiled sincerely, “Thank you.”

“Well, of course. That’s assuming I can answer them.”

“I have a feeling you’ll be able to,” she answered cryptically.

“Very well then. Since you’re here, would you like to stay and read? Or we can go somewhere if you’d like,” she turned to him, and he couldn’t help the words that fell from his lips, “I just want to spend some time with you.”

Mc looked a bit shocked, but then she smiled softly, “I’d really like that.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They decided on reading, but not before they went downstairs to grab some snacks. As predicted, Beel was there as well.

“Hey Mc,” Beel grinned, his feast not yet begun.

“Hi Beelze… Actually, is it alright if I call you Beel?”

“Huh? Why wouldn’t it be okay?” Beel cocked his head to the side in confusion.

“It’s just… I don’t know you very well, so I didn’t know if it was alright. Plus, they always refer to you as Beelzebub in the Celestial Realm.”

“Wait… Do they talk about us up in the Celestial Realm?”

“Not a lot, but when speaking about our history they do talk about you all, especially Lucifer.”

“What do they say about me?” Beel had grabbed his wrist.

“Yeah, what do they say about us? I wanna know,” Belphie’s head popped out from underneath the table, making Mc yelp a little and grabbed onto Satan’s arm. His hand automatically covered hers, a reflex from when she had been a human.

“Oh yeah. Belphie’s here too,” Beel added happily, watching the angel and his brother.

Belphie smirked, eyes on their arms, “So, what do they say about us?”

“You give me a near heart attack and then carry on like nothing happened?” Mc asked, a bit embarrassed.

“Your fault for not looking,” Belphie grunted, looking at Satan who was nearly frozen in place, his eyes focused on the point of contact, “You woke me up so maybe you should be apologizing to me.”

“Belphie, don’t be mean. You were hiding weren’t you?” Beel asked.

“Well, yeah, but that’s not the point. And how long are you going to keep clinging to my brother like that? I know he’s stronger than me, but I’m not going to hurt you.”

Mc looked to see she was still grabbing Satan’s arm, “Eep! S-Sorry! I didn’t realize,” she removed herself and took a step away, face burning.

“That’s quite alright Mc,” Satan managed to get out.

“So, what’d you guys come down here for?” Beel asked, frowning a bit at Belphie.

“Ah, right. Snacks. We came down for snacks,” Mc said quickly, face still flushed.

“I can help with that,” Beel said, “Come over here Mc and I’ll help you pick food out.” By the time their snacks were decided, both Mc and Satan had to carry them up to his room.

“We have way too many snacks,” Satan observed, “I’ll still have some in my room a month from now.”

“Awww, come on you guys! I went down to resupply early to avoid Beel taking everything, but it was really you two I needed to watch out for?”

“He was already there when we went down. He sent us back with all this,” Satan answered, not really wanting to deal with Levi at the moment. The twins had already taken up enough valuable reading time as it was.

“Of course he would. He never thinks about me when he cleans out the fridge. It’s not like it’s easy for me to just leave the house to go get something, but no one ever thinks about me. It’s probably because I’m a-”

“Oh, do you want these then?” Mc cut him off, extending her full arms.

“Wha…? You’re giving these to me?”

“Sure. Why not?” Mc smiled at him.

Levi’s eyes went wide and his lower lip quivered a bit, “You’re so kind. You’re truly an angel now.”

“Because I wasn’t before?” Mc chuckled.

Levi’s eyes got even wider and he looked down, “W-Well, I-I… Just… Thank you for the food. I think I need to go back to my room now!”

“Oh, sure. Here you go,” the snacks were handed off, Levi only dropping 3 in his haste, and then he was walking as quickly as he could down the hallway towards his room.

“That was weird,” Mc commented, watching him hurry down the hallway.

“He’s weird,” Satan sighed, extremely grumpy that Levi not only interrupted them but then said something so thoughtless, “Don’t worry about him.”

“Sure,” Mc replied, though he was sure she was still wondering about it.

“Let’s just get to my room before we’re interrupted by anyone else.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Satan closed his book and stretched, enjoying the increase in blood flow throughout his body, “How are you enjoying- Oh,” Mc, who he had given the bed to, the place she had read before they would read cuddled together, was asleep. She was breathing deeply, book still clutched in her hand.

Chuckling, Satan padded over to the bed, and pulled a blanket over her. Coincidentally, it was one she had given him. She had been convinced it was the best blanket for reading ever. He had put a perseverance spell on it so it never got worn past where it was comfortable. Now that he had it for a long time, he found himself agreeing with her.

He allowed himself a moment to admire her sleeping form, the muntins in his window throwing a line across her face. She adjusted in her sleep, pulling the blanket closer. She smiled sleepily, murmuring something that almost sounded like his name.  _ She truly is just as beautiful as before she left that last time. The last time I ever saw her alive… _

His hand caressed her jaw line before he knew what he was doing, “I’ll never lose you again. For as long as you’ll allow me in your life, I’ll be here. I promise you that,” he whispered, leaning down and lightly pressing his lips to her forehead.

She stirred at the contact, eyes opening sleepily and focusing on him, “Mnh, Satan?”

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to find me on Tumblr, I have the same username over there :D Kudos and comments are welcome!


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